Tender Fictions, the latest work from lesbian/feminist filmmaker Barbara Hammer, is both an autobiographical exploration of her own history and a personal portrayal of the gay community. Excerpts from her mother's diary humorously reveal her family's quest for middle-class perfection. Hammer recalls her upbringing in Los Angeles as the granddaughter of a Ukrainian immigrant who worked as a cook for Lillian Gish, in a surreal rendition of faded Hollywood glory. Enthralled by cultural icon of the day Shirley Temple, Hammer's mother even tried to enter her daughter into the world of show business. As Hammer examines her own emergence as a lesbian and feminist, an artist and activist, her struggle becomes almost archetypal, symbolic of all those who have rejected the ideals by which they were raised. Counterpointing Hammer's narrative are quotations ranging from Hélène Cixous and Roland Barthes to Zora Neale Hurston and Audre Lord. Tender Fictions is a moving and provocative look at the role of community in an artist's life, and the role of an artist in her community.-Lisanne Skyler A selection of Barbara Hammer's short films will be presented. (corr: Schizy (Super 8, silent, 4mins). Still Point (16mm, color/B&W, 8 mins).)