Midnight Dancers
Banned in its native Philippines, Midnight Dancers tells the story of three brothers who work as exotic dancers and prostitutes in a Manila gay club. Joel has been selling himself for seven years and at 23 is ready to quit. Dennis has joined a violent street gang and deliberately flirts with danger. Sonny, the youngest brother, returns from the University to find work, but soon is forced to join his brothers on the stage and in the back rooms. As their precarious world begins to spiral out of control, the brothers are soon on the run with blood on their hands. Shot in Manila with a young cast of superb newcomers, Midnight Dancers reveals a sensuous, erotic and dangerous world.
Running Time
119 mins
Year
1994
Kanopy ID
1363281
Filmmakers
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Comments (2)
The opening scene of Midnight Dancers is not dissimilar in form to the 'gay for pay' genre of pornography. By both mimicking this pornographic style and introducing the protagonist through the gaze of a white man, Midnight Dancers interpellates its Western audience. Indeed, Filipino film is ...Read more
The opening scene of Midnight Dancers is not dissimilar in form to the 'gay for pay' genre of pornography. By both mimicking this pornographic style and introducing the protagonist through the gaze of a white man, Midnight Dancers interpellates its Western audience. Indeed, Filipino film is often geared towards the Western festival circuit, and in doing so Midnight Dancers creates a complex and powerful statement about transnational representations, identities, and economies, both fiscal and visual.
Undoubtedly, the issue of representation is fraught with socio-political turmoil, especially in a global era where the media perpetually peddles imagery of sexualized brown bodies in impoverished communities to solidify the prejudices of the white bourgeoisie. Chionglo plays into this Western imaginary to ultimately subvert, reclaim, and offer his own definitively gay Filipino imaginary. He does this both on screen, through humanizing Filipino sex workers and depicting the inequities thrust upon them, as well as off screen, by leveraging the transnational appeal of his film to boost queer visibility and rights in his own country. Midnight Dancers is therefore largely responsible for opening the door in the early 90s for many queer and Filipino filmmakers, yet is rarely hailed for this impressive feat. To this day the film remains an underappreciated and rarely discussed piece of queer cinema, which is one reason I'm glad to see it featured prominently amongst Kanopy's other queer classics.
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