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 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 culture and tradition. Emmy Award-winning directors Dean
Hamer and Joe Wilson (KUMU HINA) along with story creator Hinaleimoana
Wong-Kalu, herself a Polynesian transgender woman who once won the crown in
Joey's beauty pageant, bring unexpected humor and insight to the inspiring
story of Pacific people who must be true to themselves no matter the cost.
Editor Bill Weber in attendance.
For tickets, visit the QDoc website here. Hollywood Theatre members, for
details on your member access, email kristy@hollywoodtheatre.org.