Cheryl Dunye in The Owls (2010)

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Leading lesbian filmmaker Cheryl Dunne (The Watermelon Woman, 1996) returns to indie filmmaking after a stint in Tinseltown with The Owls (2010), a quirky combination of thriller and political manifesto. The Owls (which in this film stands for Older, Wiser Lesbians) stars Guinevere Turner, V.S. Brodie, and Lisa Gornick as the former members of riot grrl band The Screech, now partnered off and living unhappily in California. Along with helmer Cheryl as Lisa’s ladylove, these middle-aged muff divers share a horrible secret: the death of seductive baby dyke Cricket (Deak Evgenikos) after an “accident” at a boozy house party. When a sexy, androgynous drifter played by Skyler Cooper arrives, looking for a lost lover, can it be a coincidence? Or is Skyler on to their game?

Throughout the film, Cheryl splices in interview footage of the actors speaking to the camera about their experience as lesbians, their sexual identity, and their thoughts on the film and their characters. During one of these digressions Cheryl lets (t)it all hang out as she lies on a driveway topless, gently cradling an owl statue. Unfortunately these lesbian thespians are too busy explaining themselves to get down to rug munching business. And we thought owls were supposed to be wise!