Timothy Leary called her a poet, Geraldo Rivera a groupie, Andy Warhol a muse, and David Bowie a lover. Cherry Vanilla just wants you to know her.
LICK ME: THE CHERRY VANILLA STORY chronicles an unsung counterculture revolutionary whose raw authenticity influenced multiple eras, though you might not have heard of her.
Born Kathleen Dorritie in 1943 in Queens, the flame-haired provocateur went from a 17-year-old Mad Men-era wunderkind to punk sensation, shocking with Warhol's "Pork," masterminding Bowie's Ziggy Stardust publicity campaign, and launching "The Police."
Her fearless sexual candor predated Madonna by decades, yet when Geraldo Rivera dismissed her as merely a "groupie," her genuine bravado and wit had already challenged male-dominated industries for years.
At 81, this irreverent Irish storyteller lives a modest yet vibrant life alone, her days now rhythmed by microdosed LSD, daily dance sessions to cannabis-enhanced playlists, ever determined to reclaim her legacy while remaining defiantly herself in a world that continues to minimize vital female counterculture pioneers.
To know Cherry Vanilla is to love her. Time to get to know her.
I'm a director and writer. I co-founded Melba Productions with my creative partner Leah Judge to elevate our LGBTQ+ community, women & other overlooked voices in the documentary, narrative & branded spaces.
Oftentimes, my storytelling centers underrepresented protagonists looking for levity. I like to subvert expectations to spotlight observational truths. Fascinated by the assumptions surrounding marginalized groups, I explore the many facets of the human condition & the million truths behind American folklore, examining these complexities to humanize shared experiences. Comedic empathy for the underdogs, satirical honesty for those in power.
My scripts have placed as a Finalist, Top 8, Semifinalist & Second Rounder at festival competitions like Austin Film Festival, Tony Cox's Screenplay Competition at Nantucket, HollyShorts, Cinequest, ScreenCraft and many more. My debut documentary feature, "Our dad, Danielle," was thoroughly independent and made possible with a grant from The John Steven Kellett Foundation & crowd-funding. We were fortunate to win the Best Documentary Jury Award at Manchester Film Festival, LGBTQ+ Voices Jury Award & Audience Award at Portland Film Festival and the Audience Award at Vail Film Festival.
