Generally considered to be the first feature film directed by a black lesbian, The Watermelon Woman is a hilarious, smart, and sexy examination of the history of black and queer women in Hollywood. Writer/director Cheryl Dunye plays “Cheryl” a video store employee undertaking a research project on Fae Richards, a fictionalized black actress from the 1930s. A perfect mix of romantic comedy, historic mystery, and media criticism, Watermelon Woman remains one of the most influential films in queer cinema history. A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.