Amit Virmani's documentary focuses on European, American, and Japanese women who travel to Bali in search of male companionship, provided by the so-called Kuta Cowboys, who congregate on the beaches, hoping to spin their modest surfing instruction and tour guide operations into something far more lucrative. Indeed, several young men have profited from their “careers,” with gifts of homes and new cars showered on them by adoring customers. The men interviewed here are not the least bit ashamed of their gigolo status; they openly brag about how they play their clients to the fullest, and one man's wife is actually pleased that her husband can provide a steady income for their growing family. The female tourists don't seem bothered about the nature of their activities—or at least not the relatively few who agreed to speak on camera. Virmani insists that male prostitution plays a considerable role in the Balinese economy, although when the trailer for this film hit the Internet in April 2010, Indonesian authorities expressed outrage and directed the police to temporarily arrest 28 Kuta Cowboys. Offering an interesting glimpse at the flip side of the Asian sex-tourism industry, Cowboys in Paradise bows on DVD with four bonus shorts. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Cowboys in Paradise
(2010) 82 min. In English & Indonesian w/English subtitles. Coup Communications. DVD: $195. PPR. Volume 26, Issue 2
Cowboys in Paradise
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