As a Canadian white girl, I’m probably not the best person to compile a list of films in celebration of Black History Month. But nobody else was doing it. So here is a list of 18 films WLW films featuring African American protagonists. I desperately wish I could have had this list have 28 or 29 entries, one for each day of the month like I did for my Canada Day list and Halloween list. Sadly, there just aren’t very many WLW films focusing on black protagonists. Of over 800 WLW films I’ve found, less that 20 have African American protagonists. In fact, I’m pretty sure there are more WLW movies with vampire protagonists. Gee, It’s almost like movies queer and otherwise overemphasize white narratives or something. Anyways, here’s a list of every film I could find with a African American lesbian/WLW protagonist.
1. Pariah
Dee Rees’ masterful, semi-autobiographical debut film Pariah deals specifically with the intersection of coming out within a black community. Teenage Alike is coming to terms with being a lesbian. However, she keeps not only her sexuality but more butch gender presentation secret from her family. Alike struggles with the fact that her she is unable to express herself at home and that likelihood that her parents won’t support her identity. Read my full review here.
Pariah is available on Amazon or to rent on Google play or YouTube.
2. The Watermelon Woman
The Watermelon Woman is at once years ahead of its time and set firmly in the 90’s. Cheryl Dunye’s masterful film is clearly rooted in the 90’s indie boom. You can see influences from filmmakers like Rose Troche, Spike Lee and Kevin Smith. However, the story is all Dunye. Dunye’s same-named fictional counterpart works at a video store and has dreams of being a filmmaker. She becomes fascinated by a black silent movie star nicknamed The Watermelon Woman. Dunye’s exploration of the Watermelon Woman touches on themes of representation and erasure within media and an intersectionality between queerness and blackness. The Watermelon Woman is a true gem of film and one of the best WLW films from the 90’s. Read my full review here.
The Watermelon Woman can be for free on Amazon Prime or with a library card on Kanopy.
3. Family
Family has not one, not two but five black WLW lead characters. The film follows five friends who make a pact to come out to their friends and family within the next 30 days. Both comedy and drama ensue as women come out to their nearest and dearest.
Family can be streamed for free with Amazon Prime
4. Stud Life
Stud Life is one of those movies about codependent friends whose relationship is tested when one of them begins a romance. In this case, it is JJ a black, “stud” lesbian and her effeminate gay best friend Seb. When JJ starts getting serious with a new girl, she may end up having to choose between her best friend and her girlfriend.
Stud Life can be purchased on Amazon.
5. The Lies We Tell But the Secrets We Keep Trilogy
The Lies We Tell But the Secrets We Keep is a trilogy of films by Coquie Hughes. The first film begins with a clandestine affair between Roni and Bri. When this relationship ends, Bri is desperate to move on. However, figures from her past are revealed and Roni’s life gets more complicated and more dangerous. Expect the films in this series to have twists, turns, revelations and murder.
The Lies We Tell But the Secrets We Keep trilogy is all avaible for rent or purchase on Amazon.
6. Pimp
Christine Crokos’ Pimp has a twist on the classic formula of films about pimps. In this one, the pimp is a woman. Keke Palmer plays Wednesday, a young woman who was born into the pimp game and taught the rules by her father. Once her father passes, Wednesday begins hustling in earnest to support herself, her mother and her lover. However, Wednesday eventually makes an enemy of Kenny, a pimp who runs a more dangerous racket.
Pimp as available for rental or purchase on Amazon.
7. Bessie
Dee Rees’ followup to Pariah was the HBO film, Bessie, A biopic of Bessie Smith, “The Empress of Blues”. Bessie is depicted is having relationships with both men and women. The character of Lucille (Tika Sumpter) acts as a composite of numerous female love interest Smith had during her lifetime. Rees has spoken about how the blues era allowed performers, specifically black performers to have more freedom of gender expression.
Bessie can be streamed with an HBO or Crave account or is available on Amazon.
8. Girls Like Us Parts 1 & 2
Girls Like Us follows protagonist Keisha and her social circle. In the first film, Keisha is living her best bisexual life by being involved with a woman named Zoe and a man named Greg. Pressure mounts on all sides for Keisha to choose one or the other and more generally, to be open about her sexuality. In the sequel, the focus becomes an abusive relationship and the dangers of trying to leave that situation.
Girls Like Us is free with Amazon Prime or is available on Tubi.
9. Robin’s Hood
Made for only $17,000, Robin’s Hood is a crime drama following the relationship between Robin, a bisexual, black social worker and Brooklyn, a white, French criminal. When Robin is fired from her job, she follows Brooklyn into the path of crime and begins robbing banks. However, like the title suggests, Robin is a modern-day Robin Hood and gives most of her stolen money back to the community. However, robbery with good intentions is still robbery and the police begin to close in on Robin and Brooklyn.
Robin’s Hood can be purchased on DVD through Amazon.
10. Strange Frame: Love and Sax
Animation is a blind spot here on WLWfilmreviews. There’s definitely a lot of Japanese animation that probably has lesbian content but it’s been difficult to find these films through IMDb. Strange Frame is definitely the only western animated film with explicit lesbianism that I’m aware of. This romantic, sci-fi musical animated film was created using cut-out animation and has an all-star voice cast including Tim Curry, George Takai and Claudia Black. The film takes place on a dystopian earth and follows the love story between saxophonist Parker and singer/songwriter Naia X. Not only do the women make beautiful music together but they also fight for their freedom and encounter mutants and space pirates. AfterEllen called the Strange Frame, “the trippiest lesbian film ever made.”
Strange Frame can be rented or purchased on Amazon, Google play or YouTube.
11. My Mama Said Yo Mama’s a Dyke
One of Coquie Hughs’ earlier films is a mockumentary about gay parenting. A group of urban teens become fed up with their lesbian mothers and sign them up for a camp specializing in de-lesbianism. Hughs initially imaged this project to be a documentary about black, WLW mothers. However, after struggling to acquire the funding she needed, she reworked the project to be a mockumentary.
I cannot find anywhere online to watch or purchase My Mama Said Yo Mama’s a Dyke. Please share in the comments if you have any leads about how to watch the film.
12. Stranger Inside
The fact that The Watermelon Woman didn’t catapult Cheryn Dunye to stardom or at least steady directing work is a tragedy. One of the few other films she directed was Stranger Inside, a TV movie on HBO. Stranger Inside takes place inside a women’s prison. It follows a new inmate who reconnects with her absent mother behind bars. Like HBO’s TV drama Oz or the more recent Orange is the New Black, Stranger Inside explores the harsh realities of prison life and doesn’t shy away from the same-sex relationships that are formed within a prison environment.
Stranger Inside can be purchased on Amazon.
13. Kali’s Vibe
Kali’s Vibe is a comedic portrait of its titular character. Kali is a social worker and yoga teacher. At the beginning of the movie, she lives with her lover, Crystal. However, after kicking Crystal out, Kali meets Ezra. Ezra has an instant crush on Kali and Kali herself begins flirting with sexual fluidity and struggles with the fact that her once unshakable identity as a lesbian is being tested.
Kali’s Vibe is another film that’s difficult to track down to watch. Share in the comments if you know how or where it can be viewed.
14. Hearts Beat Loud
One of the lightest, most feel-good films on this list, Hearts Beat Loud is about a Brooklyn hipster dad and his daughter. Kiersey Clemons plays Sam, the daughter. Sam is a lesbian and begins a romance with a girl named Rose played by Sasha Lane. Discussion of race is pretty minimal in Hearts Beat Loud but that doesn’t erase the blackness of Sam and Rose nor how unique this film is for having such a light-hearted relationship between two black, queer young women. Read my full review here.
Hearts Beat Loud can be rented or purchased on Amazon or can be streamed for free with a library card on Kanopy.
15. More Than Friends
More than Friends is a friends to lovers story about a butch lesbian named Tennille who has been in love with her friend, Angela. Angela is a heterosexual… Or is she? When Angela discovers Tennille’s true feelings, she has to make the decision to cross the line from friendship to romance with Tennille. And Angela has to make the decision fast or risk Tennille marrying someone else.
More Than Friends can be purchased on Amazon.
16. Black Aura on an Angel
Inspired by true events, Black Aura on an Angel explores the devastating effect untreated mental illness can have on a relationship. The once easy relationship between Angel and Phaedra is tested when Phaedra begins to have extreme emotional reactions including jealous and violence. Despite its heavy subject matter, Black Aura on an Angel runs a brisk 65 minutes.
You can watch the Black Aura on an Angel for free with Amazon Prime.
17. If I Was Your Girl & If I Was Your Girl Again
If I was Your Girl is another Coquie Hughes project. The first film began as a webseries which was then recut into a film. If I was Your Girl is a relationship drama focusing around two lesbian couples, Lynn and Stacia and Rhonda and Toi. Taking place over a 24 hour period, the tensions between these characters reaches a breaking point and a tragedy occurs. The second film currently does not have an avaible plot summary but does have a poster depicting a standoff between a lesbian couple and another woman who wields both a gun and a machete.
The first If I Was Your Girl has been taken off Youtube but can be watched in its webseries format on EastAfricaTube. The sequel can be seen on YouTube.
18. Fanci’s Persuasion
Set within the vibrant gay community of San Francisco, Fanci’s Persuasion is a screwball comedy focusing on the wedding of Fanci and her lover, Loretta. But before Fanci and Loretta can make it to the alter they have to deal with a torn wedding dress, power outages, strange visions and unsupportive parents.
Fanci’s Persuasion can be bought on VHS through Amazon.
BRUH NONE OF THOSE ARE ON NETFLIX
je vais leur faire un coup de gueule