The wry, incisive debut feature by Cheryl Dunye gave cinema something bracingly new
and groundbreaking: a vibrant representation of Black lesbian identity by a Black
lesbian filmmaker. Dunye stars as Cheryl, a video-store clerk and aspiring director
whose interest in forgotten Black actresses leads her to investigate an obscure 1930s
performer known as the Watermelon Woman, whose story proves to have surprising resonances
with Cheryl’s own life as she navigates a new relationship.
Kanopy. “The Watermelon Woman.” Accessed July 25, 2025. https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/watermelon-woman-0.
