Desire Lines

Synopsis

Ahmad is an aging trans man who has long suppressed his desire for other men, fearing stigma and questioning if his gender identity and sexuality are at odds. He turns to an LGBTQ archive for answers, digging through oral histories and interviews from trans men past and present. He immerses himself so deeply in the archive that he begins to time travel through it, living among stories and activism that crack open binary notions around gender identity and sexual desire. Aided by these stories — and by a young trans archivist — Ahmad begins to unravel his own complicated identity. In Desire Lines, narrative and documentary intertwine to relate a dizzying quest towards personal and collective trans liberation.