‘Leitis in Waiting’ film to premiere in London [1]
Wednesday, March 28, 2018 - 18:18. Updated on Monday, September 3, 2018 - 16:02.
A feature documentary ‘Leitis in Waiting’, about Joey Mataele and the Tonga Leitis, a transgender minority group fighting for equality, will premiere at the Festival of Commonwealth Film at the British Museum in London on 14-15 April.
The film officially launches a human rights impact campaign across the Commonwealth before the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CHOGM 2018.
It follows the journey of Joey, who is a devout Catholic of noble descent, living her life in Tonga as a transgender person and some of the increasing prejudices and challenges she and others like her face.
From organizing an exuberant beauty pageant presided over by a princess, providing shelter for a young contestant rejected by her family, and sparing with American-financed evangelicals who threaten to revive colonial-era laws that criminalizes the lives of leitis, the film has unexpected humour with extraordinary grace, say the promotions for the event.
It reveals Joey’s emotional journey on being different in a traditionally-ruled society and what it takes to be accepted without forsaking who she is.
The film is a collaboration between the filmmakers, Tonga Leitis Association, and the Pacific Sexual and Gender Diversity Network. Through the use of community screening and dialogue events, they are promoting human rights and confronting laws from the colonial era that criminalize LGBT lives, still effective in eight Pacific countries.
Janet Steel, Festival co-founder and program manager for Commonwealth Writers said so many amazing storytellers and filmmakers around the Commonwealth are taking risks and covering issues that affect people’s lives.
“Our hope is that ‘Leitis in Waiting’ and all of the festival's films will spark a dialogue on human rights and highlight the change-making power of cinema."
After the London screening scheduled for 5:00pm on Sunday, 15 April, a question and answer session will be held with Joey Mataele and the film’s directors, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson.
The festival is supported by the Commonwealth Writers and Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, complementing the Commonwealth Peoples Forum and CHOGM 2018.