Cheryl Dunye’s The Watermelon Woman is a film unlike most. The entire storyline and fine details separate it from the classic Hollywood feel and cause it to embrace its true individuality. This film obtains many Independent “Indie” qualities. It tells the story from a different viewpoint than the traditional Hollywood standard. It was made on a scarce budget and there were not any well-known actors. The Watermelon Woman, I would consider, is the epitome of an indie film. It exemplifies the obvious characteristics of what many would call an independent film, but also a few others that help to really set the movie apart. Dunye directs for a particular acting style and movie genre that was rare until the 1990’s.

The Watermelon Woman takes on a documentary like form even though it is a completely made up story. It thrives in a “fake documentary” sort of genre that was rare up until a boom in the 1990’s. For a film to be considered a fake documentary it must appear to be exactly that. Fake documentaries follow the characteristics and qualities that a standard documentary would, except it is fiction. The entire cast, crew, and audience are aware that although it may appear otherwise, the story is made up. In The Watermelon Woman’s case, the story is completely made up but there are some true historical aspects such as the nameless African American actors. The fake documentary is the movie’s narrative. Because the film was released during the period where this sort of style was only just being introduced, it was set apart from most films. This “wannabe” documentary style along with other aspects of Dunye’s work helped to flourish it as a unique and independent film.

Another aspect that really helped to attribute to the indie feel of the film is the acting style. Naturalistic acting is meant to be extremely realistic. It is used more so in theater and is meant to be illusive; making the story feel like real life. The acting style within the movie helps to compliment the fake documentary idea mentioned earlier. Documentaries are meant to embody real life. The only way real life can be embodied through a fake documentary is if the acting appears as realistic as possible. The acting between the characters was very low key and truly felt like everyday, normal conversation. Even when Cheryl would attach her microphone and speak to the camera, the simplicity of the acting made it feel as though the movie was non-fiction.

Lastly, the protagonist role helped to define the film’s independent stature. It is common for indie films to follow the bad guy, or the alternate perspective, of what most classic Hollywood films do. They tend to label the classic antagonist as more of the protagonist. Homosexuality is a topic that was avoided in Hollywood at this time. It was not common for big name movies to obtain much sexual diversity. When this film was made, untraditional sexual orientations would have been considered “outcasts” or “misfits.” The Watermelon Woman follows not only a lesbian, but also an African American lesbian on her journey to discover another actress. During the 1990’s, this plot line screamed independent film.

Movies can be determined as independent for a multitude of reasons. The Watermelon Woman just so happens to exemplify almost every characteristic possible.