Lino Brocka, 1998, Philippines, 136 mins

Upon losing a reliable American client, 18-year-old gigolo Pol (Allan Paule) leaves the provinces to try his luck in the soapy gay clubs of Metro Manila. Pol learns the ropes alongside fellow stripper Noel (Daniel Fernando) and savvy prostitute Bambi (Jaclyn Jose), discovering an underbelly of protection rackets, human trafficking and rampant political corruption.

One of Lino Brocka’s lasting successes, 1988’s MACHO DANCER combines a flair for socially conscious melodrama with pulp provocation, setting the template for what would become Viva Films’ erotic niche to this day. Underlying the film’s astute, cynical outlook on systemic, class-based exploitation in the Philippines is a neon-lit tale of self-discovery gyrating between queer desire and heteronormativity, sensuality and street-level grit, tenderness and violence. Heavily censored upon release and hugely successful overseas, MACHO DANCER follows the recent re-discovery of Brocka’s Bona and is presented here in a new 4K restoration from Viva Film’s original film elements.