Percival Intalan
106 mins
In this reverse coming–out story, glamorous make-up artist and fashion designer Dali is assumed by his friends, colleagues, and queer family to be gay. But when he falls for Angel, a beauty pageant queen, Dali comes out as straight. The problem is, nobody believes him – not even Angel. So the make-up artist resolves to prove his manhood, attempting to persuade Angel and her hyper-masculine brothers that he is the right man for her. With vibrantly coloured production design and a catchy soundtrack, this high-camp comedy from the Philippines challenges gender stereotypes, and calls into question our assumptions about what is gay or straight. Award-winning actor Christian Bables shines in the lead role, delicately capturing the vulnerability that underlies Dali’s frequently hilarious attempts to win his true love’s heart.
Percival Intalan (1972, Phillipines) is an award-winning producer, writer and filmmaker. He has directed several features, including Dementia (2014), Distance (2018), Unforgettable (2019) and Born Beautiful(2019). He was based in Hong Kong as an executive producer of the Walt Disney Company and later moved back to Manila to be the head of entertainment at TV5, one of the Philippines’ biggest TV networks. Intalan is currently the president of The IdeaFirst Company, a content creation company and has, to date, produced over 30 films and a dozen series.