Nitrate Kisses

Barbara Hammer’s pioneering first feature weaves together a liberating portrait of queer sexuality through a dizzying mix of archival and original footage: interviews, sexual imagery, and excerpts of documentary and narrative films from the 1930s, including the first gay film from the U.S., James Sibley Watson and Melville Webber’s Lot in Sodom (1933). Hammer’s editing juxtaposes contrasting images and sounds and brings past and present into an intimate and unexpected dialogue. With sections that explore, among other matters, the sexuality of American author Willa Cather and the status of lesbians in the Third Reich, Hammer’s film boldly pulls back the curtain on the queer experience. A Strand Releasing release.

Restored by BB Optics (Mackenzie Lukenbill, Restoration Technician). Supported by Frameline and The Estate of Barbara Hammer. Restoration overseen by Brydie O’Connor.