Twists in the Cord (or) Other Extensions of the Telephone (1994) is an unstable melding of documentary and experimental narrative, centered on the sexual history of the telephone. Shot on videotape, the analog qualities allow us to get up close to screens, telephone receivers, and optical lenses, with videotape engendering a profound intimacy with the technologies that facilitate communication. T.A.P.E. is delighted to celebrate director Lynn Hershman Leeson's work as part of the exhibition DEEP FAKE - an expansive showcase of her career at Hoffman Donahue.

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What makes Twists in the Cord so compelling today is how Hershman Leeson expresses the contradiction of closeness and alienation inherent to cellular-internet life, at a time when that wasn't a foreclosed conclusion. Created at the exact moment that the social internet was taking shape through lines of code, the expressive critiques feel electrically close and uncannily speculative.

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The film is a rupture of the stability of the documentary form, inviting profound critique and frankly needed life to the often stiff genre. Through the lens of disability, gender, labor, sexuality, and a social-political history of communication, Hershman Leeson leaves the audience with a sweeping story of the telephone as an auditory, visual, and sensory revolution. The film invites us to listen more closely to skewed imaginings of techno-optimism, through the lens of human sensuality, pain, and curiosity.

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The film features Michelle Handleman, director of BloodSisters: Leather, Dykes & Sadomasochism (1995). Hershman Leeson brilliantly grounds her work in women actors who approach filmmaking as an exploratory playground, breathing deep life and intellect into the films. It's a striking performance from Handleman, especially for those familiar with her work.

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Our series continues celebrating Lynn Hershman Leeson with her revolutionary feature film Conceiving Ada (1997) at Braindead Studios on March 8 in partnership with DEEP FAKE: Lynn Hershman Leeson.

(Jackie Forsyte)

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The phone changed the world, it encouraged connection...
But some folks may use it for dirty affection.
Be careful- it might even change how you think!
Why say "twist in the cord"? Most would call it a kink!

-Evan Pincus

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dir. Lynn Hershman-Leeson, 1994
United States, digital projection
56 min
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DEEP FAKE at Hoffman Donahue is open from January 29 to March 14, 2026. Marking her first solo exhibition in Los Angeles in 40 years, Deep Fake surveys Lynn Hershman Leeson’s six-decade career, bringing together works from her iconic series Phantom Limb, Breathing Machines, Roberta Breitmore, and Hero Sandwich, alongside never-before-seen early drawings, rare video works, and newly manipulated photographs. Hoffman Donahue, 427 N Camden Dr., 90210

[https://www.hoffmandonahue.com/exhibitions/deep-fake-2026-beverly-hills/]

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‍Special thanks to Bridget Donahue and Alexander Fulmer of Hoffman Donahue, Joanne McNeil, and Lynn Hershman Leeson.

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‍Presented by T.A.P.E. - a Los Angeles based 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to facilitating support for analog media through free digitizing, education, hands-on training, equipment rentals and volunteer opportunities. Teach, archive, preserve, exhibit.

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Whammy! is located in the REAR unit of 2514 Sunset Blvd, entrance access is via Rampart Blvd.