The Watermelon Woman 20th Year Re-Master and Re-Release
Produced in 2016
Length: 66 minutes
Distributed by the Criterion Collection
View it here: https://www.criterion.com/films/30705-the-watermelon-woman
Re-released for its 20th anniversary in a pristine 2K HD restoration, The Watermelon Woman is the story of Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye), a twenty-something black lesbian struggling to make a documentary about Fae Richards, a beautiful and elusive 1930s black film actress popularly known as “The Watermelon Woman.” While uncovering the meaning of Fae Richards’ life, Cheryl experiences a total upheaval in her personal life. Her love affair with Diana (Guinevere Turner, Go Fish), a beautiful white woman, and her interactions with the gay and black communities, are subject to the comic yet biting criticism of her best friend Tamara (Valerie Walker). Meanwhile, each answer Cheryl discovers about the Watermelon Woman evokes a flurry of new questions about herself and her future.
Produced by Alexandra Juhasz and Cheryl Dunye with Marc Smolowitz. With support from Outfest Legacy Project, TIFF.
Re-Premiered at Berlin International Film Festival, 2016.
Re-release festivals and screenings: Fusion, TIFF, SFIFF, MoMA.
Theatrical one week run: Metrograph, NY, November, 2016.
Purchased for MoMA permanent collection.
Inductee to National Film Registry, 2021.
Genre: Feature Film
Topics: Archives | Fake Documentary | Feminist Media | Film/Video Production | Highlight |