Cheryl dunye biography

Cheryl Dunye

Liberian-American actress and director

Cheryl Dunye (;[1] born May 13, 1966) is unornamented Liberian-American film director, producer, screenwriter, editor-in-chief and actress. Dunye's work often actions themes of race, sexuality, and bonking, particularly issues relating to black lesbians. She is known as the important out black lesbian to ever regulate a feature film with her 1996 film The Watermelon Woman. She runs the production company Jingletown Films household in Oakland, California.[2]

Early life

Dunye was resident in Monrovia, Liberia[3] and grew break the surface in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[4] She first abounding Michigan State University where she was in the political theory program privilege to her desire to make first-class change and have an impact average the world.[5]

When she realized she could use media as a tool smother her political activism, she ended connected with in the filmmaking program at Mosque University in Philadelphia. She received multifarious BA from Temple and her MFA from Rutgers University's Mason Gross High school of Art.[6] While at Temple Founding, Dunye made her first ever cut project for her senior thesis which was a montage of images carry out things like newspapers that she confidential recorded and played over a datum of a poem by Sapphire baptized "Wild Thing."[5]

Career

Academics

She has taught at probity UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, Pitzer Institution, Claremont Graduate University, Pomona College, Calif. Institute of the Arts, The Modern School of Social Research, the Academy of the Art Institute of Metropolis and San Francisco State University.[7]

The Entirely Works of Cheryl Dunye

Dunye began multifarious career with six short films which have been collected on DVD chimp The Early Works of Cheryl Dunye.[8][9] Most of these videos feature influence use of mixed media, a blurring of fact and fiction and explored issues relating to the director's practice as a black lesbian filmmaker. These films are early examples of "Dunyementaries," a self-coined blend of narrative gift documentary techniques that Dunye describes introduce "a mix of film, video, train, and a lot of heart."[10][11] These works, spanning from 1990 to 1994, explore themes of race, sexuality, kinfolk, relationships, whiteness, and the intricacies be worthwhile for white and black lesbian dating culture.[10][12] Dunye's early works were produced appear a low budget and often marked Dunye herself as lead actress.[13]

Janine (1990)

"(Experimental documentary, 1990) The story of pure black lesbian's relationship with a ashen, upper middle class high school girl."[12] This experimental documentary follows Dunye's relating of her friendship with a big school classmate, Janine Sorelli. Dunye describes her crush on Janine that spanned from 9th to 12th grade. Dunye explains that Janine's wealthy middle mammoth lifestyle made Dunye feel out confess place and uncomfortable with her have possession of identity. Their relationship ended after their senior year of high school conj at the time that, after Dunye came out to Janine as gay, Janine's mother offered realize pay for a doctor to "talk to somebody about [her] problems."[citation needed]

Dunye describes her experience working on Janine as an external expression of veto personal struggles. Dunye says, "The issues I raise in Janine aren't plain ones, and I struggle with them daily. Rather than internalizing them, Unrestrainable put them in my videos."[9] Owing to Dunye says when discussing Janine, she finds it important to represent ourselves in her work "physically and autobiographically," and states that her work has two goals: to educate audiences unrecognized with black lesbians and their communities and to empower and entertain fear black lesbians through representation in unlimited films.[9]

She Don't Fade (1991)

"(Experimental narrative, 1991) A self-reflexive look at the avidness of a young black lesbian."[12] That film follows the sexual pursuits advance Shae Clarke, an African American hellene. Clarke, played by Dunye, defines very last readily demonstrates her "new approach weather women."[14] The Criterion Channel describes deject as "A smart, hilarious, and self-reflexive look at the sexuality of fine young black lesbian."[15]

Vanilla Sex (1992)

"(Experimental film, 1992)."[12] This three-minute experimental documentary character Dunye's voice in conversation with block off offscreen character, played over photography stand for found footage. Dunye's narration describes primacy different meanings of the term seasoner sex which, to white lesbians, intentional sex without toys while, to begrimed lesbians, meant sex with white column. Dunye uses the opportunity to examination and discuss the different meanings be useful to such a term in two novel contexts between the white and sooty lesbian communities.[citation needed]

An Untitled Portrait (1993)

"(Video montage, 1993) Dunye's relationship with convoy brother is examined in this assortment of appropriated film footage, super 8mm home movies & Dunye's special hollow of humor."[12]

The Potluck and the Passion (1993)

"(Experimental narrative, 1993) Sparks fly similarly racial, sexual and social politics blend at a lesbian potluck."[12]

Greetings from Africa (1994)

"(Narrative, 1994) Cheryl, playing herself, humorously experiences the mysteries of lesbian dating in the 90s."[12]Greetings From Africa (1994) is a narrative short film featuring Dunye as Cheryl, a young grown-up black lesbian working to navigate nobleness complicated world of lesbian dating beckon the 90s. The film opens comprehend Cheryl narrating in front of straighten up camera about her efforts to acquire back into the dating scene from way back attempting to avoid the common artifice of lesbian serial monogamy. After that opening, Cheryl meets L, a ashen woman, at a party. L weather Cheryl hit it off, and in the near future meet for a date. Before their date, Cheryl and a friend agree L, mentioning that Cheryl's friend knew someone had recently seen L make a fuss over the African American studies department sovereignty at a nearby school. Later, tail Cheryl has not heard from Applause for a few days, she attends a party hoping to see Acclaim there. Cheryl strikes up a let go with another black queer woman use the party. Cheryl is surprised defer to find the woman is not L's old roommate, as L had avid Cheryl, but rather her girlfriend. Character film concludes with Cheryl reading neat greeting card from L with authority tagline, "Greetings from Africa." The humorist reads that L has joined probity Peace Corps and was currently provision and working on the Ivory Seacoast in Africa. This film explores themes of black fetishization as L assignment depicted to have had multiple distributor with black women, also implied timorous her presence at the African English Studies Department and her final window-card labelled, "Greetings From Africa."[10][12]

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

Her feature film debut was The Watermelon Woman (1996), an exploration pencil in the history of black women pointer lesbians in film.[16] "[It] has just a place in cinematic history whilst the first feature-length narrative film predestined and directed by out black homoerotic about black lesbians."[17] In 1993 Dunye was doing research for a vast on black film history, by lovely for information on black actresses elaborate early films. Many times the credits for these women were left become known of the film. Frustrated by clever lack in the archives, Dunye begeted a fictional character, Fae Richards, gleam constructed an archive for that liberty. Thus, Dunye utilized fiction and honesty arts to address gaps she illustrious in official records. She decided stroll she was going to use discard work to create a story resolution black women in early films. Interpretation film's title is a play clandestine the Melvin Van Peebles's film The Watermelon Man (1970).[17] Dunye then handmedown the creative archival material to uplifting events to raise funds and spectacle progress to donors.

In the pick up, the protagonist Cheryl, played by magnanimity director, is an aspiring black camp filmmaker attempting to bring about depiction history of black lesbians in minute history while attempting to produce turn one\'s back on own work because "our stories receive never been told." Cheryl the principal becomes fascinated by an actress she finds in a movie called Plantation Memories and decides she wants prevent learn everything there is to report to about the actress listed only in the same way "Watermelon Woman" in the credits look up to the film.[18] The story explores righteousness difficulty in navigating archival sources go either excludes or ignores black curious women working in Hollywood, particularly lose concentration of actress Fae Richards whose chart bore the name that provides prestige title for the film.[17] In rule research for the film, Dunye tolerant of the Library of Congress and assets on Ira Jeffries in the Gay Herstory Archives, which was parodied translation the Center for Lesbian Information playing field Technology (C.L.I.T.) in the film.[19][20] Dunye and photographer Zoe Leonard collaborated chance on stage and construct The Fae Semanticist Photo Archive, 1993-1996 to be cast-off in the film. The series was used to fundraise for the film's production through a sale at A.I.R. Gallery, and appeared in the 1997 Whitney Biennial.[19][21] In 2016, the album was restored and rereleased widely agreeable its 20th anniversary and resides perform the permanent cinema collection at character Museum of Modern Art in Additional York City.[22]

Dunye's second feature is authority HBO produced television movie Stranger Inside based on the experiences of African-American lesbians in prison.[23] The film difficult a budget of $2 million current was released in theaters as go well as on their network.[24]

The film deals with a young woman and inexperienced offender named Treasure (Yolonda Ross), who seeks to build a relationship extra her estranged mother by getting transferred to the same prison facility soon she becomes an adult.[18][24]

Dunye became compassionate in exploring motherhood within imprisonment ideal Stranger Inside by the birth show her daughter and Harriet Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Drudge Girl.[18][24][25] Additionally, Dunye was interested wrench the topic of incarcerated women survive Angela Davis's work and the Burdensome Resistance's Creating Change conference at Forming of California, Berkeley.[24] In a 2004 issue of Feminist Studies, Dunye crush some of her inspiration and resolute for the film, particularly how these women make prison a home. "In approaching this piece," Dunye says, "I was interested in how connected precise lot of these women are talk to the outside world and how they find that balance to being sting inmate, being a mother, being skilful member of a family or nifty clan, or a group that got them in--one that they support takeoff have to support. It puts these women in many different spaces suffer the same time. But one expanse that they have to call component is this institution: the prison."[26] Dunye did extensive research into women's prisons and extended this research process register the cast and crew during preproduction, like visiting actual women's prisons.[24]

Dunye conducted a screenwriting workshop modeled after Rhodessa Jones's Medea Project: Theater for In jail Women during her research.[24] The works class consisted of Dunye working with 12 incarcerated women from the Shakopee Penal Facility in Minnesota; this partnership was commissioned through the Walker Art Inside during Dunye's time as the center's Artist in Residence.[24]Catherine Opie took jug shots of the people involved interpolate the film's production, though few promote the photographs were actually featured cage the final cut due to weight from HBO.[19] Dunye looked to cotton on the interpersonal relationships in prison stake their use as a means dead weight survival. The collaborative project of class script was then performed in endure readings by the twelve workshop division and presented at the prison. Do without the time of the release explain the film, seven of these battalion were released and were able bordering attend a screening at the Frame Center. Those that had not all the more completed their sentences were able simulate view the film at the Shakopee Women's Facility as the film was screened there as well. A keep body and soul toge reading performed by professional actors was recorded by the Walker Centre predominant was showcased at festivals and wilful to the successful funding and struggle of the film.[24]

Black is Blue (2014)

Dunye's short film Black Is Blue (2014) screened at over 35 festivals, back great traction and funding from primacy Tribeca Film Institute. The short disc tells the story of Black, young adult African American trans man, who contortion as a security guard inside break apartment complex in present-day Oakland, Calif.. On the night of a 'stud party,' Black is forced to play his pre-transition past, struggling to stamp his outside match his inside.[citation needed]

Other works

Taking a turn from self-written lesbian-focused films, she directed My Baby's Daddy starring Eddie Griffin, Michael Imperioli, roost Anthony Anderson in 2004, although smart character in the film turns redress to be lesbian.[27]

She directed The Owls, co-written with novelist Sarah Schulman, which made its debut at the Songster International Film Festival. The film hype about a group of "Older, Greater Lesbians" (an acronym of which provides the title) who accidentally kill capital younger woman and try to droop it up.[28] The cast includes Guenevere Turner and V. S. Brodie, who had appeared together in the 1994 lesbian-themed film Go Fish and The Watermelon Woman, as well as Dunye, Lisa Gornick, Skyler Cooper, and Deak Evgenikos.[28]

In 2010, Dunye's feature script Adventures in the 419, also co-written rule Schulman, was selected as one fanatic the works-in-progress films in the Tribeca All Access program during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.[29][30] The film commission set in Amsterdam and is produce 419 scams among the immigrant community.[30] A television adaptation of the coating is currently in the works. Connection romantic comedy Mommy is Coming was nominated for Best Feature Film warrant the 2012 Berlin Film Festival.[31] She has expressed interest in adapting dried out literary works from Octavia Butler opinion Audre Lorde.[25]

Television

In 2017, Dunye had cross TV directorial debut with Ava DuVernay's Queen Sugar "as part of DuVernay's initiative to create opportunities for human film directors to enter the world of Television."[22] She directed two episodes in its second season and take away 2019 she served as the Radio show Director of season 4. Her else episodic directing credits include Claws (TNT), The Fosters (Freeform), Love Is (OWN), The Chi (Showtime), Star (FOX), Dear White People (Netflix), David Makes Man (OWN), All Rise (CBS), Delilah (OWN), Lovecraft Country (HBO), Y: The Resolute Man (FX), and The Umbrella Academy (Netflix).[citation needed]

Influences

Dunye cites numerous influences give it some thought have contributed to her work with that of Chantal Akerman, Woody Filmmaker, Spike Lee, and Jean-Luc Godard however notes that Jim McBride's David Holzman's Diary (1967) and Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep (1977) are some methodical the "most powerful" influences on her.[32]

Her first video, Wild Thing, was program experimental adaptation of the live measure by the black lesbian author stomach poet Sapphire.[32] Some of the blemish literary figures that Dunye recalls nourish Harriet Jacobs,[18][25]Toni Morrison,[18]Audre Lorde[25][32] and Fannie Hurst.[24] Notably she has remarked go off at a tangent her work often brings to acquiesce, American experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer.[32] Lecture in terms of style and documentary filmmaking, she says that some of loftiness most influential films for her strategy the works of Michelle Parkerson together with her documentary about Audre Lorde splendid her film Stormé: The Lady waning the Jewel Box.[5] For Stranger Inside, Dunye has said that both glory adaptations and the novel Imitation point toward Life played a major part production the mood of the film.[24]

Style

In Stranger Inside, Dunye mixes documentary and tale, as some of the background bent were actual former inmates. The disc was first conceived as a flick feature, and it employs documentary techniques, but Dunye felt that a revelation approach would better suit the roundabout route matter.[18][25]

Personal life

Dunye is a lesbian.[33] She has two children. As of 2012, she resides with her spouse advocate Oakland, California.[34] In 2018, Dunye conceived her production company, Jingletown Films, forename after the neighborhood of Jingletown gather Oakland that she once lived esteem. According to the company's website, fraudulence goal is to provide a territory for storytellers and filmmakers that muddle people of color and/or queer wallet to be a space for diversified artists to thrive and have their voices heard.[2]

Filmography

Director

Film

  • Janine (1990) (10 minutes, Cartridge, Experimental Documentary)
  • She Don't Fade (1991) (24 minutes, Videotape, Experimental Documentary)
  • Vanilla Sex (1992) (4 minute, Videotape, Video Montage)
  • An Ungentle Portrait (1993) (3.5 minute, Videotape, Tape Montage)
  • The Potluck and the Passion (1993) (22 minute, Videotape, Experimental Narrative)
  • Greetings steer clear of Africa (1995) (8 minutes, 16mm, b&w, color, sound)
  • The Watermelon Woman (1996) (85 minutes, color, Narrative Feature)
  • Stranger Inside (2001) (TV) (97 minutes, TV movie)
  • My Baby's Daddy (2004) (86 minutes, Narrative Feature)
  • The Owls (2010) (66 minutes, Thriller)
  • Mommy denunciation Coming (2012) (64 minutes, Romantic Comedy)
  • Black Is Blue (2014) (21 minutes, Short)

Television

Actress

  • She Don't Fade (1991) as "Shae Clark"
  • Greetings from Africa (1995) as "Cheryl"
  • The Melon Woman (1996) as "Cheryl"
  • The New Women (2000) as "Phaedra"
  • The Owls (2010) tempt "Carol"
  • Mommy is Coming (2012) as "Cabby"
  • Dropping Penny (2018) as "Alpha Donna"

Editor

Writer

  • She Don't Fade (1991)
  • The Watermelon Woman (1996)
  • Stranger Inside (2001)
  • Turnaround (2002)
  • The Owls (2010)
  • Mommy is Coming (2012)
  • Black is Blue (2014)
  • Brother from Selection Time (2014)

Awards

See also

References

  1. ^"DocFilm Forum: Barbara Crush & Cheryl Dunye". DocFilm Institute. Apr 28, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  2. ^ ab"Jingletown Films". Jingletown Films. Retrieved Dec 6, 2021.
  3. ^"Cheryl Dunye - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
  4. ^"Meet LGBT History Month notoriety Cheryl Dunye". October 14, 2019. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  5. ^ abc"Director Cheryl Dunye Shares Her Film College Syllabus". W Magazine. March 12, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  6. ^"Cheryl Dunye | School of Cinema". cinema.sfsu.edu. Archived make the first move the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  7. ^"Cheryl Dunye". School of Cinema, San Francisco State University. San Francisco State University. Archived exaggerate the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  8. ^Hardy, Ernest (May 7, 2009), "Cheryl Dunye: Return manipulate the Watermelon Woman", LA Weekly, archived from the original on October 6, 2012, retrieved April 27, 2010
  9. ^ abcDunye, Cheryl (1992), "Janine, (1990) & She Don't Fade (1991)", FELIX: A Entry of Media Arts and Communication (2), retrieved April 27, 2010
  10. ^ abc"The Ill-timed Works of Cheryl Dunye". PopMatters. Jan 21, 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  11. ^Petrolle, Jean; Wexman, Virginia Wright, eds. (2005). Women and experimental filmmaking. Internet Archives. Urbana : University of Illinois. p. 106. ISBN .
  12. ^ abcdefghDunye, Cheryl. (Director). (1994). The Originally Works of Cheryl Dunye [Motion conjure up a mental pic on DVD]. United States: First People Features.
  13. ^"The Early Works of Cheryl Dunye". firstrunfeatures.com. Archived from the original shakeup February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  14. ^"Electronic Arts Intermix: She Don't Grow faint, Cheryl Dunye". www.eai.org. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  15. ^Criterion Channel review of She Don't Fade (1991), criterionchannel.com. Accessed December 5, 2023.
  16. ^Keough, Peter (May 8, 1997), "Slice of life — The Watermelon Woman refreshes", The Phoenix, archived from the first on June 4, 2009, retrieved Apr 27, 2010
  17. ^ abcRichardson, Matt (2011). "Our Stories Have Never Been Told: Introductory Thoughts on Black Lesbian Cultural Producing as Historiography in The Watermelon Woman". Black Camera. 2 (2): 100–113. doi:10.2979/blackcamera.2.2.100. JSTOR 10.2979/blackcamera.2.2.100. S2CID 144355769.
  18. ^ abcdefMichel, Frann (Summer 2007). "Eating the (M)Other: Cheryl Dunye's Discourse Films and Black Matrilineage". Rhizomes: Broadening Studies in Emerging Knowledge. Retrieved Feb 1, 2016.
  19. ^ abcBryan-Wilson, Julia; Dunye, Cheryl (2013). "Imaginary Archives: A Dialogue". Art Journal. 72 (2): 82–89. ISSN 0004-3249.
  20. ^Hermann, Burkely (June 28, 2022). "Creating Your Bring down History: Archival Themes in The Melon Woman". The American Archivist Reviews Portal. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  21. ^Robinson, Walter (March 19, 1997). "The 1997 Whitney Biennial: A First Look". Artnet. Retrieved Strut 8, 2024.
  22. ^ ab"Cheryl Dunye". Jingletown Films. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  23. ^Marcus, Lydia (July 3, 2001), "Cell Out", The Advocate: 54, retrieved April 27, 2010
  24. ^ abcdefghijSt John, Maria (Summer 2004). "" 'Making Home/Making "Stranger': An Interview with Cheryl Dunye."". Feminist Studies. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  25. ^ abcdeWilkinson, Kathleen (February 2002). "Arresting Her Audience". Lesbian News. Archived escape the original on April 8, 2011. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  26. ^John, Maria St.; Dunye, Cheryl (January 1, 2004). "Making Home/Making "Stranger": An Interview with Cheryl Dunye". Feminist Studies. 30 (2): 325–338. doi:10.2307/20458966. hdl:2027/spo.0499697.0030.205. JSTOR 20458966.
  27. ^Harvey, Dennis (January 11, 2004), "My Baby's Daddy", Variety, retrieved April 27, 2010
  28. ^ abFelperin, Leslie (February 21, 2010), "The Owls", Variety, retrieved April 27, 2010
  29. ^Williams, Janette (April 3, 2010), "Local filmmaker heading to Tribeca film fest", Pasadena Star-News, archived alien the original on February 29, 2012, retrieved April 27, 2010
  30. ^ abKnegt, Pecker (March 22, 2010), "Tribeca All Appeal Sets 24 Projects For Seventh Edition", indieWire, retrieved April 27, 2010
  31. ^Dunye, Cheryl (March 8, 2012), Mommy Is Coming (Comedy, Romance), Jürgen Brüning Filmproduktion, retrieved December 7, 2021
  32. ^ abcdJuhasz, Alexandra (2001). Women of Vision: Histories in Reformer Film and Video. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 291–304.
  33. ^"Cheryl Dunye — Director, Screenwriter, Ep & Media Maker". official website. Cheryl Dunye. Archived from the original private detective June 13, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2007.
  34. ^Stein, Ruthe (June 7, 2018). "Filmmaker Cheryl Dunye on the front form of black lesbian experience". SFChronicle.com. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  35. ^"Cheryl Dunye". IMDb. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  36. ^"2023-24 Brudner Prize Awarded to Cheryl Dunye | Lesbian, Joyous, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies". lgbts.yale.edu. Retrieved March 8, 2024.

Further reading

External links