Recently restored and re-released, The Watermelon Woman tells the story of Cheryl (played by Dunye), a black lesbian in her twenties, as she searches for love, identity, and community and invents her own Hollywood history. The self-reflexive format blazed a trail for artists like Mindy Kaling and Issa Rae, who also write, direct and perform as central characters. 1996, DCP, 90 min.
The Power to Tell Everyone’s Story: An Interview with Cheryl Dunye
"I wanted to have the ability not just to tell the 'Black lesbian' story but to tell everybody's story—especially if it's a powerful one, one that's about the people." As the Walker Cinema screens two of her New Queer Cinema classics, filmmaker Cheryl Dunye speaks with Minneapolis-based filmmaker Atlas O. Phoenix about her "dunyementaries," her 1999 Walker residency, and what the future holds.
