Teaser for a documentary on the unique betelnut culture in Taiwan – via Tobie Openshaw –

“Betelnut girls (Bin Lang Xi Hsi) are a unique part of Taiwan culture. They sit in brightly-decorated glass booths wearing skimpy outfits, and sell cigarettes, drinks and betelnut to passing drivers. It’s a controversial trade but not actually illegal. The question of whether the girls are exploited is open to debate – certainly their own perception is mostly that they are doing a job like any other, and the less they choose to wear, the more they sell. For more info, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betel_nut_beauty .”

Tobie Openshaw

 

I am a South African-born DOP/producer/editor working in film and video for over 16 years. I have filmed and traveled from desert to city to jungle, in Africa, Europe, the US, Australia and Asia.
I currently live in Taiwan where I have a day job – running a studio for a software company producing cutting-edge
video and DVD software – while I continue to do personal video and photo projects. I’ve been photographing and interviewing betelnut girls for 6 years

© Tobie Openshaw

LightStalkers
Taipei, Taiwan