Filmmaker Brydie O'Connor Celebrates Queer Icon Barbara Hammer in 'Barbara Forever'

The documentary reassembles Hammer's life and radical vision entirely through her own images, voice and defiant spirit.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 10:15pm

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Forgoing conventional biography, director Brydie O'Connor's documentary 'Barbara Forever' celebrates the life and pioneering work of iconic lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer. Rather than a traditional cradle-to-grave narrative, O'Connor delivers an avant-garde film in the manner of Hammer's own experimental style, using only Hammer's own footage, voice and perspective to educate audiences about the trailblazing artist.

Why it matters

As a leading figure in the second-wave feminist and queer film movements, Barbara Hammer's provocative and groundbreaking work challenged societal norms and made LGBTQ+ stories and experiences visible. 'Barbara Forever' aims to introduce Hammer's radical vision to new generations of queer artists and audiences.

The details

O'Connor's documentary eschews a linear timeline, instead immersing viewers in a whirlwind overview of Hammer's early experiences coming out as a lesbian in the 1970s, her many love affairs, and her lifelong advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and representation through her experimental films. The film features footage exclusively from Hammer's own work, with her own voice narrating the story of her life and artistic mission 'to create a lesbian history in a world in which we are invisible.'

  • Hammer came out as a lesbian in 1970.
  • The film covers Hammer's life and career from the 1970s until her final battle with cancer.

The players

Brydie O'Connor

The director of 'Barbara Forever' who has immersed herself in Hammer's work for over a decade and formed a close relationship with Hammer before her death.

Barbara Hammer

The iconic lesbian filmmaker known for her pioneering experimental films that challenged societal norms and made LGBTQ+ stories and experiences visible.

Florrie Burke

Hammer's soulmate and partner in the later years of her life.

Joey Carducci

A trans artist from a younger generation who collaborated with Hammer, demonstrating her solidarity with all queer people.

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The takeaway

Through 'Barbara Forever,' director Brydie O'Connor celebrates the radical, defiant vision of pioneering queer filmmaker Barbara Hammer, using Hammer's own footage, voice and perspective to introduce her groundbreaking work to new generations of LGBTQ+ artists and audiences.