Leitis in Waiting (full documentary)

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 presided over by a princess, 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 criminalize the leitis' lives. With unexpected humor and extraordinary access to the Kingdom's royals and religious leaders, Joeyʻs emotional journey reveals what it means to be different in a society ruled by tradition, and what it takes to be accepted without forsaking culture and tradition.

Directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, produced by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu. Leitis in Waiting is a co-production of Qwaves with Pacific Islanders in Communications.

Premiere: The British Museum. Broadcast: PBS/Pacific Heartbeat, ARTE. Awards: Audience Award, Festival of Commonwealth Film; Special Jury Prize, FIFO Tahiti

More information is available at http://leitisinwaiting.com