(Left to right:) Jaiyah Saelua and Kaimana in “Next Goal Wins”.Photo:Presley Ann/Getty; Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Presley Ann/Getty; Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Taika Waititi’s new movieNext Goal Winstells the real-life story of American Samoa’s men’s soccer team — infamously one of the world’s worst — and their quest to qualify for the 2014FIFA World Cupwith the help of coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender).
But along with immersing audiences in the natural beauty and cultural quirks of American Samoan culture, Waititi’s comedic retelling of the 2011documentaryof the same name serves as an introduction to another of the island nation’s legacies: its third-gender community, known as fa’afafine.
“The idea of fa’afafine is really, I think, one of the most important things that comes out of this film,” says actorKaimana, who plays team member Jaiyah Saelua.
Kaimana in “Next Goal Wins”.Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Now a coach and FIFA ambassador for equality and LGBTQ athletes, Saelua continues to take every opportunity she can to bridge the gap between indigenous understandings of gender identity and the Western world’s.
“I’m very proud of my fa’afafine identity, and I will preach it everywhere I go,” the 35-year-old athlete tells PEOPLE. “But I’m also very proud that I’m a transgender woman who has chosen to transition, who has chosen to take up the responsibility of being the voice of trans athletes around the world.”
The literal Samoan translation of fa’afafine — “in the manner of a woman” — “might sound controversial when you hear it from an outside lens,” she explains. “But ‘in the manner of a woman’ suggests that we are not women, and it also suggests that we are different from men. We are not a non-binary identity. We are a both-binaries identity.”
(Left to right:) Thomas Rongen, Jaiyah Saelua and Taika Waititi in 2023.Leon Bennett/Getty
Leon Bennett/Getty
The third and fourth Samoan gender identities, fa’afafine and fa’afatama (“in the manner of a man”), stem from their integral place in Samoan culture.
In fact, fa’afafine are such an accepted part of the island community, Saelua didn’t have to justify or contextualize her gender identity for others until she left American Samoa for the United States.
“The idea of discrimination was just new to me,” she admits. “I was introduced to the idea that in order to live a comfortable life being born a male and then growing up and living feminine, you have to try to be as passable as possible. The pressure of that was introduced to me.”
“Those are actual experiences that trans women in Western societies face and I thought it was important that audiences see that,” says Saelua, who adds that she “loved” the movie.
“There was a sense of trust for me as a Samoan fa’afafine, as a Pacific Islander, that it was Taika that was doing this. He is a Pacific Islander, and he understands the sensitivities of certain issues that he knows not to joke about.”
By incorporating elements of Saelua’s real-life story into its script,Next Goal Winsreminds audiences around the globe that “expressions outside of the binary are not a new thing,” says Kaimana, 34. “Fa’afafine is something that has existed for a time immemorial. Its roots are ancient.”
Growing up in Hawaii, California and Utah, Kaimana understands all too well the “pressure to find one label to pigeonhole yourself into,” as she puts it. “The concept of ‘identifying’ is honestly very unique to the Western world. Whereas within a lot of indigenous spaces, you just are who you are… without any explanation whatsoever.”
She adds, “My experience is quite expansive and it covers a wide range of things. I’m proud to say that I’m a trans woman, just as I’m proud to say I’m transfeminine, just as much as I’m proud to say I’m non-binary, just as I’m proud to say I’m a woman. Every single one of those labels and experiences, I identify very heavily with each one.”
Kaimana and Taika Waititi in 2023.Amy Sussman/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty
Amy Sussman/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty
WithNext Goal Winsbringing Saelua’s singular experience to audiences around the world, Kaimana hopes it will prompt viewers to think about gender as something other than a strict binary.
“I think everybody deserves to be afforded, obviously, the same room for exploration [as myself], the same ability and right to be able to identify as they will,” says the actor. “Because if you grew up in a world and a language where you only have two options, then I’m like, ‘Hello, that’s not going to work!’”
Next Goal Wins, costarring Oscar Kightley, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale,Will ArnettandElisabeth Moss, is in theaters now.
source: people.com
