The Watermelon Woman
Directed by Cheryl Dunye
A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.
Where to Watch The Watermelon Woman
- Antonio Ca' ZorziNovember 30, 2025An amazing piece of storytelling built around a documentary-in-the-making about a Black actress from the 1930s, known only as “the Watermelon Woman,” who has been all but erased from film history. A young Black filmmaker sets out to recover her story, uncovering unexpected truths about the past—and about herself—along the way. Smart, playful, and quietly subversive.
The Watermelon Woman Trivia
The Watermelon Woman was released on September 7, 1996.
The Watermelon Woman was directed by Cheryl Dunye.
The Watermelon Woman has a runtime of 85m.
The Watermelon Woman was produced by Barry Swimar, Alexandra Juhasz.
A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.
The key characters in The Watermelon Woman are Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye), Diana (Guinevere Turner), Tamara (Valarie Walker).
The Watermelon Woman is rated Not Rated.
The Watermelon Woman is a Drama, Comedy, Romance film.
The Watermelon Woman has an audience rating of 5.7 out of 10.
The Watermelon Woman has made $1,989 at the box office.