Barbara Hammer
Retrospective

For the first time, the Filmoteca, in collaboration with the MIFDB, is offering a dedicated and sustained programme to explore in depth the work of the American director and visual artist Barbara Hammer. In today’s context, it is becoming increasingly necessary to rediscover the work of this pioneering filmmaker in lesbian, experimental and feminist cinema, who has all too often been relegated to the margins. Over five decades, Hammer explored the representation of the body and lesbian desire through various visual forms and expressions in numerous short and feature films spanning analogue and digital formats.

The tactile filming of intimacy and vulnerability lies at the heart of her work, which also encompasses personal portrayals of themes such as landscape and illness. The expression of desire emerges as a collective force, establishing Hammer as an essential voice in recent cinema. Her work invites us to approach the body not as a symbol, but as a living, relational presence that is always oscillating between intimacy and revolution.

Within lesbian, queer and experimental cinema, Hammer proposes a genealogy through which she acknowledges the influence of previous female directors and acts as a mentor to those yet to come.

Full program available in catalan↗