Desire Lines

This is a documentary about gay female-to-male, and female-to masculine transgender people. It mostly deals with life after the transition, with low emphasis on the transitioning process itself. It also deals with those whose physical orientation leans male.

There are two main subject categories. One is Lou Sullivan, a F-to-M trans activist who also pioneered identifying as gay. He is represented by multiple excerpts from the interviews he gave on TV, plus the writings of one correspondent to him. The other are a series of interviews with various trans people of different presentations and anatomies - one masculine-identified subject insisted on keeping his vagina. They often have trouble finding intimacy partners, though Trans Night at gay bathhouses are a big help, in their not having to explain themselves.

This is wrapped in a narrative drama. A masculine trans Iranian-American (who left Iran soon after the revolution) goes to a queer archive in Chicago to do research, and is befriended by a younger, boyish trans staffer. The Iranian angle is enhanced with the to discussions about an Iranian "omelette" dish. This hybrid approach added interest, and made it feel more than the dryness of a plain documentary.

I saw this as part of a film festival, with cast and director present. The director mentioned that the Iranian actor helped do a short "proof of concept" to solicit funding, and was kept on, with Iranian touches added to the script. The other actor was an activist in his own right, and his part was written with him in mind.

The film's depiction of identity, sex, and understanding for one component of the queer community is powerful and very moving.

It's relatable as interviewees discuss the uncertainty and challenges of being new and different in an already established community.

The insights provided into the risks this community faces felt eye opening, but not in the traditional sense. I felt as though the stories within this film simply showed me how to focus in on issues that were hidden in plain sight.

I highly recommend this film. It's through learning about those around us that we learn more about ourselves. I certainly gained an education through this particular film.