How do we build a history from the past? It has been said, “Gays have a past but no history.” Gays and Lesbians don’t grow up immersed in their history. Swimming with Lesbians is a film that explores this past, and an upstate New York community’s efforts to create an LBGT historic archive – led by the extraordinary lesbian activist Madeline Davis. Swimming with Lesbians brings viewers into the lives and histories collected for the archive. The stories -- some sad, some quirky, some tender, some gently good humored -- are interwoven with scenes of Madeline at work, often frustratingly so, to build the archive.   Madeline’s and the film’s shared goal are poignantly captured in this phrase from the film: “We are ephemeral. This is for the ages.”