BARBARA FOREVER
A sublimely exhilarating exploration of the life, work, and legacy of iconic, pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer. Recipient of awards at multiple festivals, including Sundance and Berlinale.
Description
New York Premiere
A sublime exploration of the life, work, and legacy of iconic, pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer – revealing her ingenious lifelong artistic effort to create and record lesbian histories, personal and societal. Driven by her canon of over eighty films, a vast collection of unreleased archival materials, and extensive audio interviews, BARBARA FOREVER tells Hammer’s story through her own voice and visual perspective.
The film centers Hammer as a prism of the cultural ecosystems around her—through the feminist and queer movements in 1970s San Francisco, the male-dominated New York art world of the 1980s, the New Queer Cinema movement of the 1990s, and expanded LGBTQIA+ representation in art and culture in the 2000s.
NewFest alum Brydie O’Connor makes her dynamic feature directorial debut with this acclaimed recipient of multiple festival awards, including Sundance’s Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award (U.S. Documentary) and Berlinale’s prestigious Teddy Award for Best Documentary/Essay Film. Ultimately, BARBARA FOREVER provides an urgent, vital story of queer life, feminist history, and American cinema.
“The feature debut of Brydie O’Connor, BARBARA FOREVER offers an immersive journey into the life and work of Barbara Hammer. A fearless filmmaker, Hammer began living openly in her 30s and went on to become a pioneering voice in experimental cinema, forging a distinctly feminist and queer lens. Her uninhibited approach to filmmaking not only redefined the medium but also influenced generations of artists drawn to her bold, deeply personal vision.” –Anton Astudillo (Programmer)
The in-person screening will be followed by a Q&A
Part of NewFest Pride 2026
Director
Brydie O'Connor
Producer
Elijah Stevens, Brydie O'Connor, Claire Edelman