Paradise Bent. Boys will be Girls in Samoa
Directed by Heather Croall
Synopsis
Paradise Bent is a fascinating and entertaining film that tells the story of the Samoan fa’afafines: boys who are raised as girls and take on the domestic duties performed by women around the home, raising the children, caring for the elderly, and bringing the family together. The film explores the role of the fa’afafines, the anthropological records, and the impact of westernization. Through interviews with fa’afafines, Samoan elders, academics, and other residents of Samoa, the film explores differing cultural constructions of gender and sexual identity.