The Watermelon Woman is screening in partnership with Film East, a Norwich-based film programming group.

‘The Watermelon Woman’ was the name given to the mythical Fae Richards, a beautiful yet elusive black Actress from the 1930s. In all her films, it was her only billing, why should that be? It is a mystery that perplexes Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye), a young black filmmaker. She sets out to solve the mystery by making a documentary about this forgotten star.

The Watermelon Woman has garnered critical and audience acclaim since its release and has become a staple in lesbian cinema. Upon its release, The Watermelon Woman made history as the first narrative feature to be released by an out Black lesbian filmmaker. The film is fiction, but as Cheryl Dunye says, 'Sometimes you have to create your own history.'

About Film East

The Watermelon Woman is screening in partnership with Film East, a Norwich-based film programming group. The film was selected from their PROUD film collection, which features 18 diverse and insightful films that explore the vast spectrum of sexualities and identities on screen. The PROUD collection is part of Film East's film criticism anthology, Queer Projections, which will be published on 2 June 2023 and available for sale at the screening. Learn more about Film East and Queer Projections at film-east.com.