Lino Brocka’s Macho Dancer restored

A gay film classic is back in its full glory

THIS MARCH, French film distribution company Carlotta Films and North American boutique film distributor label Kani Releasing have brought the newly restored digital version of Lino Brocka’s Macho Dancer to the Philippines for a long-awaited relaunch.

Premiered on March 23 at the UP Film Center in Diliman, Quezon City, the uncensored 4K restoration of the gay film classic was commissioned by Carlotta and Kani Releasing from a scan of a 35mm print from producers Viva Films.

Before coming home to the Philippines, the movie was first screened at New York, Paris, Nantes, and other locations in Europe. The film centers on 18-year-old Paul (played by Allan Paule), who falls into the world of sex work to support his family. It also stars Jaclyn Jose, Daniel Fernando, and William Lorenzo, and was written by Amado Lacuesta and National Artist Ricky Lee.

“It’s an amazing film,” said Vincent Paul-Boncour, Carlotta Films co-founder and film distributor, at the talkback after the March 23 screening. “In Europe, we only know Brocka for a few titles — Insiang, Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag, Jaguar, Bona — so that’s already something.”

However, he believed Macho Dancer was an underrated “mix of arthouse and commercial … that talks directly about the gay community, which [Brocka] already did before but not on this level.”

This is what made it an essential film to take on, he said, following Carlotta and Kani Releasing’s previous joint endeavor, Bona, also by National Artist Lino Brocka, which they restored and released in 2024.

THE POLITICIZED GAZE
While Macho Dancer premiered locally in 1988 and was screened internationally since, the film has been cut by censors many times over the years.

Filmmaker, film historian, and author Nick Deocampo shared at the talkback how he once had to reschedule a screening at a mall because the classification board had given it an X-rating.

“The film is now in its sparkling new copy. What is important to see in this reconstituted version is the director’s gay intention which attains more clarity, unlike the cut version where the film was sanitized on moral grounds,” he explained.

For example, the temporal duration of the “shower scenes,” where the characters soap each other and dance erotically onstage, prolonged the gay gaze.

“It’s about the politics of the body. You can study the entire film because of the way their bodies are depicted,” Mr. Deocampo said. “It’s not a mere issue of aesthetics but of politics. Cut the duration of the shot and the director’s intention is thwarted, curtailed.”

The film’s screenwriter Mr. Lee also gave insight into the director’s vision during the talkback, echoing the necessity of these lengthy scenes.

“Even we were still discussing with Lino, he said he wanted lingering shots of the homoerotic scenes between the two. It shows that in a very harsh world, this is their chance to linger, na hindi napuputol, na kahit papaano parang paradise (without being disrupted, that’s somehow like paradise),” he explained.

“Though they are erotically selling their bodies, they can be themselves,” Mr. Lee added. “The duration of this queer gaze was, for Lino, an act of defiance.”

NEW CONTEXT
Mr. Deocampo told the audience at the talkback that the film was well-received in the recent French screenings, which he also attended.

“The reception was tremendous. They consider it one of the best of Brocka because of the queer politics,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lee expressed hope that Macho Dancer can be appraised with new eyes in a modern context, for audiences both abroad and among the younger generations here in the Philippines.

“In film, gay experiences are either depicted as punishment or as entertainment. We wanted to show that these macho dancers are real people. That’s what guided us,” he said.

Aside from the gay experience of sex work, the world of female sex workers is also included in the film, through the character of Jaclyn Jose, who won a Gawad Urian for Best Supporting Actress for the role. Mr. Lee explained that this makes it even richer than it already is.

He added that films like this still have influence today. “Nag-iiba ang pag-nood sa bagong panahon, sa bagong konteksto, at sa bagong diskurso (The viewing experience changes in a new time, a new context, and a new discourse),” he said.

For Mr. Paul-Boncour, who has been focusing on restoring films by both Lino Brocka and Mike De Leon, Philippine cinema is a “huge and amazing cinema” to undertake.

“You can see from one shot, from the writing, the cinematography, and each character — the visual storytelling is just powerful,” he said.

He revealed that next in their lineup of films for restoration is Brocka’s 1974 film Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang.

Carlotta and Kani’s Blu-ray release of Macho Dancer is slated for May. More screenings of the film in the Philippines will be announced soon. — Brontë H. Lacsamana