Closet Picks
The Watermelon Woman

The Watermelon Woman

Cheryl Dunye, 1997

Spine #1184

Picked by 4 guests

Drama / Comedy / Romance

Criterion Letterboxd TMDB

Directed by Cheryl Dunye

Written by Cheryl Dunye

Cinematography Michelle Crenshaw

Edited by Annie Taylor, Cheryl Dunye

Cast Cheryl Dunye, Guinevere Turner, Valarie Walker, Lisa Marie Bronson, Cheryl Clarke, Irene Dunye, Brian Freeman, Ira Jeffries

Picked by

Tyler Mitchell
Tyler Mitchell photographer

“I will start by choosing The Watermelon Woman. The way this plays with black identity, black lesbian identity, what it is to be sort of a black cinema lover,, very fun movie.”

Cheryl Dunye

“I'm just going to shout out to find myself in the collection. So look, The Watermelon Woman, and I guess I'm really into the collection as well here at Criterion because I love cinema.”

Zeinabu irene Davis

“And then my homie from Philly! Watermelon Woman, another classic. You got to know about Cheryl Dunye. Watermelon Woman, there you go.”

Sophy Romvari

“Watermelon Woman. It's one of those films that you watch and you see, oh wow, everyone has been copying this film. Everyone is inspired by this film because it really does use the hybrid form in such an inventive way, in such a seamless way, and the way that she self-inserts as a director but as a performer and brings documentary elements in without it bringing attention to itself. It's just brilliant and it really should be one of those films that every filmmaker has to watch at some point.”