NEWS: Bristol Kino Club revives The Watermelon Woman
Bristol Kino Club has its inaugural event at The Cube Microplex, by screening of The Watermelon Woman to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The film follows a twenty-something black lesbian, Cheryl, an aspiring filmmaker who works in a video-renting store while struggling to make a documentary about her mysterious and obscure subject. An actress who was popular for her roles as “the mammy character” in 1930s American films, but was rarely credited for her performance except when referred to as the Watermelon Woman.
Cheryl is surprised to discover that the Watermelon Woman is actually a singer named Fae Richards and even more surprised to find out that Fae had a white lesbian lover. Meanwhile, Cheryl falls in love with a white customer at the video store.
The film manages to joyfully skip between 16mm film and the beautifully nostalgic yet short-lived 1990s grainy videotape aesthetic, Dunye stacks slices of day-to-day life with black-and-white archival snippets about Fae.
Hana Nour-Elmi, Event Organiser and Founder of the Bristol Kino Club said “We are absolutely thrilled to have been able to get this film and screen it at The Cube. It’s a film that spearheaded conversations around Queer identity, Black identity, and the intersections within it. I’m sure this film will continue to stay relevant for as long as we awkwardly traverse conversations around race and identity.”
Event Co-Organiser, Dee Hassan said of launching the club “We wanted to create a space for Bristol filmmakers and film enthusiasts to connect and discuss. It’s not just about watching the movie, it’s about the conversation you have about the movie.”
What makes Bristol Kino Club so different? It’s simple. The brand-new cinema club has a stubborn commitment to reaching cinephiles from all walks of life. Allowing for cinema to bring people together and spark exciting conversations.
“Bristol Kino Club is a film community that comes together to watch and discuss films. We focus on screening independent and arthouse films with the intention of honouring films and filmmakers who have not been given their flowers for the tremendous impact they’ve had on cinema and our lives.”
“As a woman of colour it’s also really important for me to create a space to talk about and celebrate films by people of the global majority. We want to make watching films inclusive, accessible, and meaningful!
Everyone is welcome to be a part of the Kino Club, all we ask of them is to be respectful, open-minded and always happy to discuss each and every minuscule detail of a film”
Want to join the Kino Club? Follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
BristolKinoClub@gmail.com