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In 1995, director Heather Croall went to Samoa to make documentaries for UNICEF and was introduced to the fa'afafine way of life. She returned to the island in 1998 to make Paradise Bent: Boys Will Be Girls in Samoa, a documentary about the fa'afafine lifestyle, their history and role in Samoan society.
What? You mean you don't know what a fa'afafine is? Okay. For starters, it's pronounced like the nickname of a certain horse-toothed radio producer (faa-faa-feeney). It translates into "in the manner of a woman" and refers to boys who take on domestic roles in their households. It's a pretty widely accepted practice in Samoa, with two to three fa'afafines in some large families.
Since Western influence hit the shores of Samoa, the traditional fa'afafine tribal dances have been replaced by nightclub drag shows. A large chunk of Croall's focus is on Cindy, one of the most popular dance acts, who becomes a member of the Australian High Commission. As you can imagine, things do not proceed smoothly.
The Paradise Bent program includes a half-dozen shorter documentaries exploring various sexual labels, such as About Vivien, a 14-minute number featuring Australian drag queens from the World War II era.
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