Audience (1981): cast, story & where to watch
1981 · Film · ★ 6
Released in 1981, Audience is a notable film directed by Barbara Hammer.
What it’s about. Barbara Hammer’s Audience (1981) is a fascinating deep cut from the director’s prodigious filmography. Relatively raw in its design, this 16mm diary of audience reactions at retrospectives of Hammer’s work in San Francisco, London, Toronto, and Montreal in the early 1980s bears none of the distinctive visual flourishes and essayistic form one usually finds in her filmmaking. Today, Audience serves as an invaluable historical archive, providing quick but complex portraits of lesbian scenes in different cities and countries: the San Francisco women are bold and raucous, treating Hammer like a celebrity; the London crowd more reserved and tentative; the Canadians politely critical after initial hesitation. It also functions as a testament to the power of Hammer herself as a figure of lesbian culture, showing how fully she engages audiences to incite new forms of discourse about representation.
Who’s in it. Audience stars Curt McDowell as Self, Barbara Hammer as Self and Ulrike Ottinger as Self.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, Audience has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Audience page.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Audience (1981)?
- Streaming, rental and purchase options for Audience change frequently. Check our where-to-watch page for the latest availability in your country.
- Is Audience worth watching?
- Audience holds an audience score of 6.0 out of 10. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Audience?
- Audience stars Curt McDowell, Barbara Hammer and Ulrike Ottinger.
- When was Audience released?
- Audience was released in 1981.