FREE FILM: THE WATERMELON WOMAN

Post-film discussion about the impact of the film and 90's independent American film with the University of Utah Associate Professor Sarah E. S. Sinwell, moderated by KUER's RadioWest host Doug Fabrizio. Presented as part of our Through the Lens series, which for 2022 features a collaboration with the University of Utah’s Department of Film and Media Arts to present an extended exploration of what many Film Lovers regard as the “Classic Films” in cinematic history Screening of the 1996 New Queer Cinema & Independent film classic. The post-film conversation will ask the question “Why is this film a classic and who is it a classic for?” The story of Cheryl, a twenty-something Black lesbian struggling to make a documentary about Fae Richards, a beautiful and elusive 1930s black film actress popularly known as “The Watermelon Woman.” While uncovering the meaning of Fae Richards’ life, Cheryl experiences a total upheaval in her personal life. Her love affair with Diana, a beautiful white woman, and her interactions with the gay and Black communities are subject to the comic yet biting criticism of her best friend Tamara Meanwhile, each answer Cheryl discovers about the Watermelon Woman evokes a flurry of new questions about herself and her future. Registration link: https://www.utahfilmcenter.org/event/the-watermelon-woman/