Barbara Forever
USA • English
Directed by Brydie O'Connor • 2026 • 102 mins
Screening
Thursday, October 15 | 6:30 PM •
The life and times of pioneering lesbian filmmaker and artist Barbara Hammer takes center stage in Brydie O’Connor’s Teddy Award-winning debut feature.
When Hammer came out as a lesbian in the 1970s she “took off on a motorcycle with a super-8 camera” and never looked back, leading to groundbreaking and irreplaceable queer and experimental works like DYKETACTICS (1974), one of the first lesbian films ever made. In her trilogy NITRATE KISSES (1992), TENDER FICTIONS (1995), and HISTORY LESSONS (2000), she unearthed her own history and the hidden lives of other lesbians.
Throughout her long, storied, and monumental career, Hammer was a mentor, an activist, and a beloved figure in queer culture. She made over 90 moving-image works that were often centered on her own life, her body, and her various lovers — a monumental decision when such life-affirming, honest depictions of sapphic people were scarce and taboo. The beauty of this exciting documentary is bolstered by exquisitely edited archival footage. Overall, this beautifully intimate documentary assembles an equally lyrical portrait of the visual poet, illuminating how Hammer’s unrivaled legacy continues to inspire artists and preserve our shared histories. At the same time, it never loses sight of the ambitious, funny, bold, and absolutely joyful woman at its very center.
– Kate Bove
When Hammer came out as a lesbian in the 1970s she “took off on a motorcycle with a super-8 camera” and never looked back, leading to groundbreaking and irreplaceable queer and experimental works like DYKETACTICS (1974), one of the first lesbian films ever made. In her trilogy NITRATE KISSES (1992), TENDER FICTIONS (1995), and HISTORY LESSONS (2000), she unearthed her own history and the hidden lives of other lesbians.
Throughout her long, storied, and monumental career, Hammer was a mentor, an activist, and a beloved figure in queer culture. She made over 90 moving-image works that were often centered on her own life, her body, and her various lovers — a monumental decision when such life-affirming, honest depictions of sapphic people were scarce and taboo. The beauty of this exciting documentary is bolstered by exquisitely edited archival footage. Overall, this beautifully intimate documentary assembles an equally lyrical portrait of the visual poet, illuminating how Hammer’s unrivaled legacy continues to inspire artists and preserve our shared histories. At the same time, it never loses sight of the ambitious, funny, bold, and absolutely joyful woman at its very center.
– Kate Bove
Screening
Thursday, October 15 | 6:30 PM
Sponsored by Basement Films
