Synopsis

Leitis in Waiting is the story of Joey Mataele and the Tonga leitis, an intrepid group of native transgender women fighting a rising tide of religious fundamentalism and intolerance in their South Pacific Kingdom. The film follows Joey, a devout Catholic of noble descent, as she organizes an exuberant beauty pageant, provides shelter and training for a young contestant rejected by her family, and spars with American-financed evangelicals threatening to resurrect colonial-era laws that would criminalize the leitis' lives. With unexpected humour and extraordinary access to the Kingdom's royals and religious leaders, Joey's emotional journey reveals what it means to be different in a society ruled by tradition, and what it takes to be accepted without forsaking who you are.

Film Length: 72 min.

Location

The Tea Room, Ground Floor, Banks Building (#44), School of Archaeology and Anthropology. Entrance on Linnaeus Way. Follow the signs through the central courtyard.

Key themes

Gender and sexual identity; Transgender rights; Transphobia; Religious fundamentalism; Polynesian society and culture; Tongan politics.

This film series is an initiative of HDR students with funds from the ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology.