23/46

He encounters his past and present during an erotic journey of self-discovery

Plot

An Iranian-American trans man travels back in time to an LGBTQ+ archive to understand his sexuality. This is a documentary about gay transgender people between women and men and between women and men. It mostly deals with life after transition, with little emphasis on the transition process itself.

There are two main categories of subjects

It also deals with those whose physical orientation is more masculine. One is Lou Sullivan, a F-to-M trans activist who was also a pioneer in identifying as gay. He is represented by several excerpts from interviews he gave on television, plus the writings of one of his correspondents.

It's wrapped in narrative drama

The second is a series of interviews with various trans people of different presentations and anatomy - one male-identified subject insisted on keeping his vagina. They often have trouble finding intimate partners, although Trans Night at gay spas is a great help because they don't have to explain themselves. A male trans Iranian-American (who left Iran shortly after the revolution) goes to a queer archive in Chicago to do research and befriends the younger, boyish trans staff.

The Iranian angle is reinforced by discussions of the Iranian "omelette"; a dish

This hybrid approach added interest and made it feel more than the dryness of a regular documentary. I saw it as part of a film festival with the actors and director. The director mentioned that an Iranian actor helped make a short "proof of concept" to get funding and it went ahead, with Iranian elements added to the script.

The other actor was a solo activist and his part was written with him in mind