Now restored in 4K, this gay drama from 1988 was directed by acclaimed Filipino filmmaker Lino Brocka, known for groundbreaking works such as Manila in the Claws of Light and Insiang. It centres on Paul, who leaves his impoverished rural village to work as a dancer, stripper, and rent boy in Manila’s red light district. While the film depicts sexual exploitation with shocking frankness, it nonetheless finds some hope in the genuine camaraderie that develops between the performers offstage. Due to its hard content and uncompromising social critique, the film was heavily cut in the Philippines, leading Brocka to smuggle out an uncensored copy to international film festivals. Revisited after nearly four decades, the strikingly erotic imagery on display in Macho Dancer forces us to consider our desires, and complicity, as viewers.