Acclaimed Filipino filmmaker Lino Brocka’s landmark queer drama Macho Dancer, starring Allan Paule, Daniel Fernando, William Lorenzo, and Jaclyn Jose, is returning to theaters in a new 4K restoration.
The restoration brings one of the most influential queer films from the Philippines back to the big screen nearly four decades after its original release.
The new 4k restoration premieres July 10th at IFC Center, after screening at MoMA’s To Save and Project, the Los Angeles Festival of Movies, and Frameline (SF). On July 24th, the film expands nationally to Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, Lower Manhattan, SF, Denver, and Raleigh.
The story follows 18-year-old Pol (Allan Paule), who upon losing a reliable American client, leaves his native province to try his luck in the soapy gay clubs of Manila. As Pol learns the ropes alongside fellow stripper Noel (Daniel Fernando) and savvy prostitute Bambi (Jaclyn Jose), he discovers more than his young mind bargained for: an underbelly of protection rackets, human trafficking, and political corruption.
Originally released in 1988, Macho Dancer found international acclaim for its unflinching depiction of sexuality, class inequality, and systemic corruption. Widely regarded as one of Brocka’s defining works, the film remains a landmark of queer cinema and follows the recent restoration and rediscovery of his acclaimed drama Bona.
The New Yorker review wrote, “Brocka builds scenes with incisive clarity, unfolding the intrepid maneuvers that make the difference between survival and disaster; the inevitable recourse to violence is tinged with a revolutionary defiance.”
It was originally censored in the Philippines, so Brocka smuggled a 35mm print into the United States, which sat in the MOMA for nearly four decades.
Critics have noted, “The restoration comes from that print (rather than the more traditional source negative)—not that you would know it from how rich and detailed the result looks. It’s a truly remarkable job across the board, both specifically of its time and hi-fi enough you’d never clock its bootleg nature.”
The new 4K restoration is presented by Kani Releasing and Carlotta Films from Viva Films’ original film elements.
Watch the trailer for Macho Dancer, above.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.