Desire Lines is an innovative hybrid documentary that explores the experiences of trans men in relation to sexuality, desire, and identity. Blending fictional narrative, archival materials, and intimate interviews, the film delves into the evolution of trans masculine desire and the social and cultural challenges that accompany it. At the center of the story is Ahmad, an Iranian trans man who immigrated to the U.S. in the early days of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Now in his 60s, he turns to an LGBTQ+ archive in Chicago to explore long-suppressed desires. There, he meets Kieran, a young non-binary archivist deeply rooted in queer culture. Through the letters and interviews of Lou Sullivan—one of the earliest trans men to write about gay male sexuality—they begin to forge a connection between past and present.
