The Watermelon Woman
Humanities Film Series featuring a conversation with SaraEllen Strongman, Lydia Kelow-Bennett, and Sydney Tunstall
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
6:00-8:00 PM
Theater 1
Off Campus Location
The wry, incisive debut feature by Cheryl Dunye gave cinema something bracingly new and groundbreaking: a vibrant representation of Black lesbian identity by a Black lesbian filmmaker. Dunye stars as Cheryl, a video-store clerk and aspiring director whose interest in forgotten Black actresses leads her to investigate an obscure 1930s performer known as the Watermelon Woman, whose story proves to have surprising resonances with Cheryl’s own life as she navigates a new relationship.
The film screening will be followed by a community conversation with professors SaraEllen Strongman (Afroamerican and African Studies), Lydia Kelow-Bennett (Afroamerican and African Studies), and graduate student Sydney Tunstall (English and Women's and Gender Studies).
Free and open to the public. No ticket necessary. First 20 attendees receive a free popcorn!
The film screening will be followed by a community conversation with professors SaraEllen Strongman (Afroamerican and African Studies), Lydia Kelow-Bennett (Afroamerican and African Studies), and graduate student Sydney Tunstall (English and Women's and Gender Studies).
Free and open to the public. No ticket necessary. First 20 attendees receive a free popcorn!
| Building: | Off Campus Location |
|---|---|
| Location: | State Theatre, 233 S. State |
| Website: | |
| Event Type: | Film Screening |
| Tags: | African American, Film, History, Humanities, Lgbt Issues, Undergraduate, Women's Studies, Writing |
| Source: | Happening @ Michigan from Institute for the Humanities |
