Leitis in Waiting

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Leitis in Waiting
Directed byDean Hamer
Joe Wilson
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu
Produced byDean Hamer
Joe Wilson
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu
Release date
  • April 2018 (2018-04)(Festival of Commonwealth Films) [1]

Leitis In Waiting is a 2018 feature-length documentary about transgender rights in Tonga. It was produced and directed by Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu. The filmmakers previously explored trans rights in the Pacific in their films Kumu Hina and A Place in the Middle. [2]

Contents

Synopsis

Leitis in Waiting is the story of Tonga leitis, native transgender women fighting a rising tide of religious fundamentalism and intolerance in their South Pacific kingdom. They are led by LGBT rights activist Joleen Mataele, who founded the Tonga Leitis Association, which provides support and shelter to transgender women. The film centers on the Miss Galaxy Queen pageant, an annual beauty competition for leitis, and on a national consultation on LGBT rights initiated by Mataele. [3]

Production and release

Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson met Joleen Mataele during a screening of Kumu Hina arranged by her long-time friend Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu. [4] They had originally intended to make a short film about the Miss Galaxy Queen pageant (which was later released as Lady Eva), but expanded the project when Mataele launched a national discussion in 2016 on LGBT rights in Tonga, [5] documenting the opposition she faced from conservative church groups. Leitis In Waiting was presented at the Documentary Edge Festival's DOC Pitch Competition 2017 as a project-in-development. [6]

Hamer has explained that discussion of LGBT issues in Tonga are often dominated by outside voices from countries like Australia, and that part of the motivation for making the film was to raise the profile of Tongan voices. [7] He has also cited the continued existence of anti-sodomy laws as an important part of the discussion. “Colonial era laws are still on the books in eight Pacific countries. We want to bring more awareness to these issues across the Commonwealth.” Leitis in Waiting would later have its European premiere at the inaugural Festival of Commonwealth Film. [8]

According to Mataele, the film is a means of speaking plainly and directly to decision makers: [7]

I’ve always wanted to have a document of the work that we do. This film can help us advocate and make our voices heard internationally. There’s no substitute for putting your story out there without concealment. We’re telling it like it is.

The filmmakers employed an unusual release strategy. Alongside major festival screenings, they screened the film across the Pacific and worked with Pacific LGBT groups to create advocacy events, where the film screening was a means to gather people and resources in different communities. [9]

The film was produced in association with Pacific Islanders in Communications and was broadcast on PBS television. [10]

Reception

Leitis in Waiting and Lady Eva were screened at over 50 film festivals worldwide, including Margaret Mead Film Festival, AFI Docs, LA Film Festival, Doc Edge, Frameline, Outfest, Melbourne Queer Film Festival and Shanghai Queer Film Festival. [11] The feature won the 2018 Audience Award at Festival of Commonwealth Film and Special Jury Prize at FIFO Tahiti while the short won the Asia Pacific Queer Film Festival Alliance (APQFFA) Award. Leitis in Waiting was nominated for the 2019 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary. [12]

Related Research Articles

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Miss Galaxy Queen is a beauty pageant held in Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu in Tonga, where contestants are members of Tonga's fakaleiti community. Organised by the Tonga Leitis' Association (TLA) it raises awareness of LGBTQ+ rights issues and has become a regular event in the Tongan cultural calendar.

Māhū in Native Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures are third gender people with traditional spiritual and social roles within the culture, similar to Tongan fakaleiti and Samoan fa'afafine. Historically the term māhū referred to people assigned male at birth (AMAB), but in modern usage māhū can refer to a variety of genders and sexual orientations.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Tonga</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Tonga face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Homosexuality is illegal in Tonga, with a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, but the law is not enforced.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sisiʻuno Helu</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Joleen Mataele</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonga Leitis' Association</span> LGBT rights organization in Tonga

The Tonga Leitis' Association (TLA) is an advocacy and education organisation in Tonga, and is the only organisation in the country dedicated to LGBTQ+ issues.

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References

  1. ↑ "Leitis in Waiting Wins Festival of Commonwealth Film Audience Award". 24 April 2018.
  2. ↑ "Home". A Place in the Middle. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  3. ↑ "Index". Leitis in Waiting. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  4. ↑ "Breakfast at Fiji One". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  5. ↑ "LGBT community calls for change in conservative Tonga". Radio New Zealand. 2016-10-08. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  6. ↑ "Leitis in Waiting - Documentary Edge". Documentary Edge. Archived from the original on 2018-10-14. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  7. 1 2 "International Transgender Day of Visibility: Interview with Joleen Mataele". Kaleidoscope Trust. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  8. ↑ "Leitis in Waiting - European Premiere with Q&A". FC Film. Archived from the original on 2018-10-14. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  9. ↑ Dazed (2018-05-31). "Organising a trans beauty pageant in conservative Tonga". Dazed. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  10. ↑ "PACIFIC HEARTBEAT: Leitis in Waiting". PBS Hawai‘i. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Screenings". Leitis in Waiting. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  12. ↑ "The Nominees for the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards". GLAAD. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
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