Barbara Forever

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Barbara Forever
Directed by Brydie O'Connor
Produced by
  • Elijah Stevens
  • Brydie O'Connor
  • Claire Edelman
Starring Barbara Hammer (archive footage)
Edited byMatt Hixon
Music byTaul Katz
Production
companies
Release date
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Barbara Forever is a 2026 American documentary film directed by Brydie O'Connor in her feature directorial debut and executive produced by Christine Vachon. It is an archive-driven exploration of the life and work of the pioneering lesbian experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer.

Contents

The film premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award.

Premise

The documentary utilizes a "kinetic tapestry" of archival footage, guided by Barbara Hammer's own voice, to explore her life, body, lovers, and lesbian identity. It chronicles her persistence and ambition in recording her own history to ensure she was not left out of the historical record, framing her work as a blueprint for future queer artists. [2]

Production

The film is directed by Brydie O'Connor, who previously directed the short documentary Love, Barbara (2022), which focused on Hammer's legacy and won the Grand Jury Prize for Short Documentary at Outfest. [3] Barbara Forever serves as a feature-length expansion of O'Connor's archival research into Hammer's life.

The project is produced by Elijah Stevens, O'Connor, and Claire Edelman, with Christine Vachon (of Killer Films) serving as executive producer. Consulting producers include Zackary Drucker and Jenni Olson. [2]

Release

Barbara Forever premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition section at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award. [4] It has been highlighted by LGBTQ+ publications as a "must-see" title for the 2026 festival season. [5] [6]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 100% of 12 critics' reviews are positive. [7]

Sam Bodrojan of IndieWire gave the film a B+ and wrote that it "is a sincere ode to the queer iconoclast." [8]

References

  1. ↑ "Barbara Forever". Archived from the original on January 15, 2026. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "2026 Sundance Film Festival Program: Barbara Forever". Sundance Film Festival . Archived from the original on January 15, 2026. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Brydie O'Connor - Filmmaker". Women Make Movies . Archived from the original on December 14, 2025. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  4. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 30, 2026). "Sundance Film Festival Awards Winners: 'Josephine' Takes U.S. Grand Jury Prize & Audience Award". Deadline. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Queer Guide to Sundance 2026". QSaltLake . December 10, 2025. Archived from the original on December 11, 2025. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  6. ↑ Rude, Mey (December 10, 2025). "Sundance 2026: 14 must-see LGBTQ+ films". Out . Archived from the original on December 11, 2025. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Barbara Forever". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 4, 2026.
  8. ↑ Bodrojan, Sam (January 24, 2026). "'Barbara Forever' Review: A Loving and Intimate Tribute to a Queer Cinema Legend". IndieWire . Retrieved February 4, 2026.
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