Forum Expanded Anniversary

A Horse Is Not a Metaphor

Filmmaker Barbara Hammer fights ovarian cancer with visions of horseback riding and river swimming in her experimental film, A Horse Is Not a Metaphor. As a “cancer thriver” rather than “survivor,” she rides the red hills of Georgia O’Keefe’s Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, the grassy foothills of the Big Horn in Wyoming, and leafy paths in Woodstock, New York, changing illness into recovery. The haunting and wondrous music of Meredith Monk underscores and celebrates in this experiential/experimental film that lifts us up when we might be most discouraged.

by Barbara Hammer (Director)
30'
USA 2008
English

Credits

Barbara Hammer

Barbara Hammer (1939–2019) was a feminist filmmaker and pioneer of queer cinema. She created over 90 moving image works as well as performances, installations, photographs, collages, and drawings. Her films have been shown nine times at the Berlinale: twice in the Panorama as well as in the Forum and five times in the Forum Expanded program. Her films A Horse Is Not a Metaphor (2008), Generations (2010), and Maya Deren’s Sink (2011) received Teddy Awards.

Filmography

1968Barbara Ward Will Never Die,Schizy
1972Elegy,Traveling,Marie and Me,A Brakhage Song
1975Jane Brakhage,Menses,Superdyke,Psychosynthesis,“X”,A Gay Day,Sisters!,Yellow Hammer,Dyketactics,Song of the Klinking Kup,I Was/I Am,Women’s Rites or Turth is the Daugher of Time
1976Superdyke Meets Madame X;28 min., with Max Almy,Women I Love,Stress Scars & Pleasure Wrinkles,Moon Goddess;15 min., with Gloria Churchman
1979Available Space,Double Strength,Eggs,Haircut,Dream Age,The Great Goddess,Multiple Orgasm,Home,Sappho
1985Optic Nerve & andere Kurzfilme,Hot Flash,Would You Like To Meet Your Neighbor? A New York Subway Tape,Doll House,Parisian Blinds,Tourist,See What You Hear What You See,Bent Time,Pearl Diver,New York Loft,Stone Circle,Pools;9 min., with Barbara Klutinis,Sync Touch,Audience,Our Trip,Pond and Waterfall,Arequipa,Machu Piccu,Pictures for Barbara,Bamboo Xerox,The Lesbos Film
1986Snow Job: The Media Hysteria of Aids
1988Endangered,Two Bad Daughters,T.V. Tart,History of the World According to a Lesbian,Bedtime Stories, I, II, III,No No Nooky T.V.,Place Mattes
1990Still Point,Sanctus
1991Vital Signs,Dr. Watson’s X-Rays
1992Nitrate Kisses
1995Tender Fictions
1998The Female Closet,Blue Film No. 6: Love Is Where You Find I,Out in South Africa,Shirley Temple and Me
2000Devotion, A Film about Ogawa Productions,History Lessons
2001My Babushka: Searching Ukrainian Identities
2003Resisting Paradise
2006Lover Other
2007Diving Women of Jeju-do
2008A Horse Is Not A Metaphor
2009Generations;with Joey Carducci, Forum Expanded 2011
2011Maya Deren's Sink
2015Welcome To This House ,Lesbian Whale
2018Evidentiary Bodies

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025

Dates

SatFeb 2219:30

Arsenal 2

Short films by Barbara Hammer

Short films by Barbara Hammer iCal

Berlinale Shorts

A Horse Is Not a Metaphor

Filmmaker Barbara Hammer fights ovarian cancer with visions of horseback riding and river swimming in her experimental film, <em class="tit1">A Horse Is Not a Metaphor</em>. As a “cancer thriver” rather than “survivor,” she rides the red hills of Georgia O’Keefe’s Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, the grassy foothills of the Big Horn in Wyoming, and leafy paths in Woodstock, New York, changing illness into recovery. The haunting and wondrous music of Meredith Monk underscores and celebrates in this experiential/experimental film that lifts us up when we might be most discouraged.

by Barbara Hammer
30'
USA 2008
English

Credits

Crew

Director
- Barbara Hammer
Music
- Meredith Monk

Barbara Hammer

Filmography

1968 Barbara Ward Will Never Die (); Schizy ()
1972 Elegy (); Traveling (); Marie and Me (); A Brakhage Song ()
1975 Jane Brakhage (); Menses (); Superdyke (); Psychosynthesis (); “X” (); A Gay Day (); Sisters! (); Yellow Hammer (); Dyketactics (); Song of the Klinking Kup (); I Was/I Am (); Women’s Rites or Turth is the Daugher of Time ()
1976 Superdyke Meets Madame X (); Women I Love (); Stress Scars & Pleasure Wrinkles (); Moon Goddess ()
1979 Available Space (); Double Strength (); Eggs (); Haircut (); Dream Age (); The Great Goddess (); Multiple Orgasm (); Home (); Sappho ()
1985 Optic Nerve & andere Kurzfilme (); Hot Flash (); Would You Like To Meet Your Neighbor? A New York Subway Tape (); Doll House (); Parisian Blinds (); Tourist (); See What You Hear What You See (); Bent Time (); Pearl Diver (); New York Loft (); Stone Circle (); Pools (); Sync Touch (); Audience (); Our Trip (); Pond and Waterfall (); Arequipa (); Machu Piccu (); Pictures for Barbara (); Bamboo Xerox (); The Lesbos Film ()
1986 Snow Job: The Media Hysteria of Aids ()
1988 Endangered (); Two Bad Daughters (); T.V. Tart (); History of the World According to a Lesbian (); Bedtime Stories, I, II, III (); No No Nooky T.V. (); Place Mattes ()
1990 Still Point (); Sanctus ()
1991 Vital Signs (); Dr. Watson’s X-Rays ()
1992 Nitrate Kisses ()
1995 Tender Fictions ()
1998 The Female Closet (); Blue Film No. 6: Love Is Where You Find I (); Out in South Africa (); Shirley Temple and Me ()
2000 Devotion, A Film about Ogawa Productions (); History Lessons ()
2001 My Babushka: Searching Ukrainian Identities ()
2003 Resisting Paradise ()
2006 Lover Other ()
2007 Diving Women of Jeju-do ()
2008 A Horse Is Not A Metaphor ()
2009 Generations ()
2011 Maya Deren's Sink ()
2015 Welcome To This House (); Lesbian Whale ()
2018 Evidentiary Bodies ()

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025

Dates

SatFeb 2219:30

Arsenal 2

Short films by Barbara Hammer

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A Horse Is Not a Metaphor

Credits

Crew

Barbara Hammer

Filmography

Dates

Arsenal 2

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