An Iranian-American transman, Ahmad, searching for his place in history, finds more than just a link to the past in the archives. Drawing from first-person accounts, as well as fictionalized segments, filmmaker Jules Rosskam explores the lines of desire as they intersect with identity for many transmen.
DESIRE LINES is a hybrid feature documentary that blends personal interviews, archival materials, and narrative fiction as a framework for exploring the complicated and often unwritten history of transmasculine sexuality.
Testimonials from transgender men both past and present dissect how cultural expectations, political agendas, and gatekeeping practices shape the locus of desire.
The fictional story centers on Ahmad, an Iranian expat who arrived in America at the onset of the AIDS crisis. Now in his 60s, Ahmad comes to the LGBTQ archives of Chicago to explore his latent homosexuality and engage in fantasy to reimagine his life as an out, gay trans man. Ahmad’s research blends fact with fiction, often diving into fantasy sequences that re-imagine the gay bathhouses of the 70s and 80s through a transmasculine lens. He is assisted by Kieran, a twenty-something nonbinary archivist who is immersed in queer culture and trans community
An intergenerational friendship takes hold as Ahmad and Kieran’s bond is strengthened by a shared fascination with Lou Sullivan, a gay transgender AIDS activist.
Their story is punctuated throughout by intimate interviews with trans-identified men about their varied experiences with gay male cruising culture, affirming interactions in a bathhouse, or lack of adequate healthcare for masculine-of-center folks.
These brutally honest exchanges bring to light the untold history of a group of people who have been doubly marginalized by straight and gay communities alike. Ultimately, DESIRE LINES is a tender love letter to the gay transmasculine community and the legacy that Lou Sullivan, and many unnamed others like him, left behind.
£5 / Ticket + Booking Fee
Booking fee donated by ticket partner Skiddle to Manchester Pride Charity.
Profits from SCENE ticket sales donated to Manchester Pride Charity which supports, empowers and enriches LGBTQ+ community groups.
MORE information
Director: Jules Rosskam
Running time: 83 minutes
Screenwriter: Jules Rosskam + Nate Gualtieri
Rating: 18
Talent: Theo Germaine / Aden Hakimi / Em Modaff
Country of origin: USA
Year: 2024
Language: English
Accessibility: OCAP
The YES: PINK SCREENING ROOM is a space at SCENE dedicated to showcasing the best features and shorts of the year alongside Q&As and panels from the top LGBTQ+ creatives behind them - with a focus on championing new and upcoming film makers and subjects from the all part of the LGBTQIA community.
This screening at YES is supported by Film Hub North with National Lottery funding on behalf of the BFI Film Audience Network.
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