'Macho Dancer,' 'Manila By Night' to screen for free in CCP
MANILA, Philippines — The CCP Arthouse Cinema of the Cultural Center of the Philippines will be having back-to-back screenings of Lino Brocka’s “Macho Dancer” and Ishmael Bernal’s “Manila By Night” this Friday, June 3, at the Tanghalang Manuel Conde.
The screenings are a collaboration of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Philippine Film Archive, and the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film too celebrate National Heritage Month.
They will also commemorate the 26th death anniversary of Bernal on June 2. Brocka's 32nd death anniversary was marked last May 22.
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Both films by the National Artists are a glimpse into Manila's socio-political landscape during the 1980s, both of them controversial for their time yet still critically acclaimed for its interpretation and subject matter as dealt with by the directors.
"Macho Dancer" (1988) follows Allan Paule's Pol who becomes a macho dancer in Manila to support his family after he was left by his American lover.
"Manila By Night" (1980) on the other hand is a series of narratives that looks into the hidden nightlife of ordinary people living in the Philippine capital.
Both films tackle content once considered taboo like prostitution, drugs and police corruption, launching themselves into controversy but are now considered masterpieces of Philippine cinema.
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