The Watermelon Woman

1996, U.S., 90m, DCP

Showtimes & Tickets

Screened June 14, 2023

Recommended by (among others) the TV series Yellowjackets and AMPAS and TCM’s Jacqueline Stewart, the warmly piquant and seriously sexy comedy has also been named to the National Film Registry for preservation. Dunye stars as filmmaker Cheryl who, while embarking on a romance with Diana (Guinevere Turner of Go Fish), delves into the enigma of ‘30s singer/actress Fae Richards (Lisa Marie Bronson) — credited only as “the Watermelon Woman” for her on-screen servile work. “Sometimes you have to create your own history,” the end credits note.

A film by Cheryl Dunye