Moti Haiby
Israël 2004 vidéo 53min. english/thai o.v. english s-t.

Nearly 10,000 Kathoy live in Chiang Mai, the capital of North Thailand. "Kathoy" means man-woman or lady-boy – while the body is male, the soul is female. It is a matriarchal society in which women are dominant, the heads of families and businesses. Men yearn to be women. This fascinating documentary follows a group of cabaret performers living on a tropical farm in Chiang Mai. Run by a married gay couple, who with eight lady-boys perform twice a night, seven days a week at clubs in town. The farm and the cabaret are paradise for them, where they are free to dress as women and allow their femininity to shine. They however have one added desire – to undergo a sex change. Taking us along for the ride, we see them rehearse, perform, take hormones, inject silicone, have romantic liaisons with locals and deal in prostitution. An interesting privileged look into a culture much different from our own, Kathoy is also a touching testament to becoming what you desire to be. – KS