(U.S., 83 min., Directed by Jules Rosskam)
Preceded by Skin (U.S., 7 min., Dir. Leo Behrens)
An Iranian-American trans man, 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 trans men.

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.---<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jQgfi4Me6w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Click here</a> to watch a prerecorded Q&amp;A with director Jules Rosskam of DESIRE LINES.

Desire Lines

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.

A woman wakes up to find her facial skin peeling off, terrified of what's underneath. Seeking answers, she looks into a mirror. Simultaneously, a parallel world within the mirror is unveiled, representing what is about to emerge within her—a part of herself she has long ignored, frozen in ice and snow. In this ice realm, a man wakes up. As her fear of what lies behind her skin grows, this world begins to melt and come to life. Through the mirror, the ice man guides her, assisting in her transformation, shedding her old skin, and uncovering her true identity.

SKIN

SKIN is a poetic exploration of identity and self-discovery, using visual symbolism to depict a woman's transformation into a man.

Ava Davis hosts a conversation with director of DESIRE LINES, Jules Rosskam.

In Conversation with the Director of DESIRE LINES

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DESIRE LINES

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