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In this hybrid documentary, history comes alive when an Iranian-American transman time-travels through the LGBT archives on a dizzying quest to unravel his own sexual desires.
DESIRE LINES is a hybrid feature film 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.
“Jules Rosskam Encourages Transgender Men to Be Open About Their Sexuality in ‘Desire Lines’” – Variety
Jules Rosskam
Jules Rosskam, André Pérez, Amy E. Powell, Brittani Ward
Eugene Sun Park, Jason Matsumoto, Jennifer Reeder, AJ Escoffery, Jules Rosskam
Theo Germaine, Aden Hakimi, Em Modaff
Jules Rosskam
Marie Hinson
1h 55m
USA
Sundance
NEXT Special Jury Award, 2024
Thessaloniki, 2024
Wheelchair-accessible
Closed Captioning
The Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge that we operate on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprising the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations) this land is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III. We acknowledge the traditional caregivers of this land and the importance of a commitment to continued decolonization of our work for the dignity and equity of all. We would like also recognize that Treaty 7 is about a relationship we all actively share in, as settlers and original peoples. A relationship needs to be open, honest, respectful, mutually beneficial and grounded in meaningful reconciliation.
