From Caterpillar to beautiful butterfly

Thailand’s “ladyboys” (transgender people) are renowned – or rather, notorious – all over the world. In fact, the country seems to sport more of them than anywhere else on the globe.

Many of them may be engaged in dubious professions such as prostitution or are restricted to a limited range of respectable occupations like salesgirls or makeup girls (it is estimated that 60 per cent of all makeup girls in Thailand’s entertainment

industry are actually transgender), but they are tolerated due to the country’s predominantly Buddhist religion. In that context, they prefer to refer to themselves as members of “the third sex”, which is appropriate enough.

It may take a veteran Hollywood producer like David Winters to recognise the true potential of some of these “women trapped in men’s bodies”. Winters has produced and directed over 80 feature films and more than 200 TV shows including Once Upon a Wheel starring Paul Newman, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde starring Kirk Douglas, The Ann-Margret Show starring Ann-Margret and Lucille Ball, and others.

After moving to Thailand, he made the epic adventure film The King Maker, which featured John Rhys-Davies and Gary Stretch in the male leads and was the first English-language movie ever to be entirely produced in the country.

“Many of them are not only very well educated but also, arguably, more beautiful than real women,” he asserted. It was with this impression that Winters recently came up with his latest brainchild, Papillon.

A long-term resident of Thailand, Winters brainstormed: “What is unique about Thailand?”

The answer dawned on him soon. Apart from magnificent sunsets, warm weather, colourful temples, terrific hospitality, world-class cuisine and some of the finest beaches, Thailand could boast an extraordinary assembly of transgender persons.

“Papillon is both a movie and a singing group. Its members are ladyboys. As you know, ‘Papillon’ is French and translates as ‘butterfly’. I chose the name because I likened the group members to caterpillars who, after emerging from their cocoons, had transformed into beautiful butterflies,” he explained.

The movie Winters is currently shooting will document the making of a “never before seen” international pop group and has been designed to be “cross-promoted” with the group’s debut album. Both are expected to be released simultaneously in 2009.

“Only a few years ago, the world wouldn’t have been ready for it, but I think the advent of the Internet has changed all this, because it has effectively made people more liberal and open-minded,” asserted Winters.

After tedious auditions of almost 300 applicants, Winters narrowed down his choice to six members, all of whom are very well educated, with some of them holding several university degrees. Most important, of course, was their ability to perform, to sing and dance and, at the same time, being gorgeous.

“It was a very hard choice, and it is simply the pain you have to go through as a producer” he attested.

Papillon, the movie, is conceptualised as a documentary drama following all stages from the basic idea to the initial creation of the group to their coming-of-age period through meticulous and tedious coaching and it finally culminates in their first live on-stage performance.

“What you don’t know, and I’ve kept it wrapped under secrecy so far, is that the movie is going to open with shocking images,” Winters filled me in.

The first few minutes will be dedicated to showing the real-life surgical procedure of transforming a man’s genitals into a woman’s. The operation, the filming of which several of Papillon’s members had agreed to beforehand (others were already “transformed”), might be censored if it is to be shown on TV, according to Winters.

“What you have to understand is that it is a real commitment. It’s irreversible. I am not sure if we straight people could ever agree to such a commitment in our lives. It will create a blast, and possibly some raised eyebrows, but showing those images is a crucial part of the movie to make the audience understand in what kind of emotional dilemma transsexuals live, and that ultimately there is only one way out for them.”

The movie will incorporate a lot of re-enactments, hence it is a documentary drama rather than a fully fledged documentary. Winters only thought about creating the movie to go parallel with the album release some while after he had devised the group as a musical outfit that would display traditional Thai dancing moves to the tunes of snappy and fast-paced pop tunes.

For shooting, Winters prefers deploying Sony HD digital cameras, which he has already used for his previous movie, The King Maker.

“The transfer from film to HD resulted in magnificent quality. The images were first class,” he confided.

The King Maker, of course, sold in more foreign territories than any other Thai-produced film. Sony Entertainment bought all US release rights and Universal purchased a lot of other territories.

If that is any indication, Winter’s forthcoming film will succeed as well. Hell, the guy has a touch for gold!

But most of all, and what his movie will hopefully accomplish, is to foster an understanding that even transgender persons warrant the respect that every human being deserves and regardless of their creed, sexual orientation, social standing or financial circumstances. ASIAIMAGE