DES!RE
DES!RE
DES!RE is an experimental film exploring the desire for transmasculine, transmen, butch, stud, masculine of center (MOC) people assigned female at birth. The soundtrack is by Campbell L Sangster, the animation by Neelu Bhuman.
DES!RE attempts to explore the desire for sameness and difference using the bodies of people who were assigned female at birth, and now identify as men, transmen, MOC, butch, stud, non-binary and AG (Aggressive). The dialogue between the images and the voice over by femme lesbian and bisexual women, transmen, and butch women subverts a heteronormative underpinning of desire, while celebrating and allowing for the challenges of that desire simultaneously.
In queer culture there has been a shift to speaking about the complexities of desire. But there is very little about queer desire for those bodies which transgress gender boundaries and binaries. Mainstream visual culture is still stuck in normative binary attractiveness - even for those who define as transgender.
DES!RE takes it's visual influence from the homo-erotic photography of Bruce Weber and queers it further with a trans and feminist lens. It is a black and white film to bring a jazz/blue note meditative feel to the film.
About the artist
Campbell X is a writer/director who directed the award-winning queer urban romantic comedy feature film STUD LIFE. Stud Life was voted by the Guardian as one of the top 10 Black British feature films ever made. It was also in Vogue magazine as one of the best films to watch in 2020.
You can discover more of his work here: https://linktr.ee/campbellx
Alternatively, you can follow him @campbellx Twitter/Instagram
-