13/37
An Iranian-American trans man travels back in time to an LGBTQ+ archive to understand his sexuality. He encounters his past and present on an erotic journey of self-discovery. This is a documentary about female-to-male and female-to-male gay transgender people. It deals primarily with life after transition, with little emphasis on the transition process itself. It is also aimed at those whose physical orientation is more masculine. There are two main categories of subjects. One is Lou Sullivan, a F-to-M trans activist who was also a pioneer in identifying as gay. Several excerpts from his television interviews and the writings of a correspondent represent him. The other is a series of interviews with trans people of different appearances and anatomy – one subject who identified as male insisted on keeping her vagina. They often have a hard time finding intimate partners, though the Trans Night in the hot tubs is a big help in that they don’t have to explain themselves. It’s a finished narrative drama. An Iranian-American trans male (who left Iran shortly after the revolution) goes to a queer archive in Chicago to do research and befriends a younger, younger trans colleague. The Iranian angle is further reinforced by discussions of the Iranian “omelet.” bowl. This hybrid approach added interest and made it feel more than just the dryness of a documentary. I saw this at a film festival, with the actors and the director. The director mentioned that the Iranian actor had helped him with a short “proof of concept.” to apply for funding, and they went ahead with it, with Iranian elements in the script. The other actor was an activist himself and his role was written with him in mind.