I do not know why I am writing this, but I wish to make it known that I refuse to be further represented in film festivals abroad by macho dancers.
So why Mel Chionglo's insists on featuring yet another macho dancer film, TWILIGHT DANCERS and holding its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival is beyond me. Just like Kubrador, methinks the marketing concept is, "Let's reap awards first so we can pepper our posters and collaterals with laurel leaves before we show it back home."
I reviewed Masahista last year for Yehey! and i labeled it as "exploitative" and "senseless" and I am not afraid to be pilloried for that opinion. I do not subscibe to that crappy line, "Bakit yan? Nakakahiya naman!" but after watching Cinemalaya for the last two seasons, I am furthermore emboldened to believe that we have more that we can offer to the world than this.
Truly, there is no escaping the fact that our society has not moved much since Brocka premiered his disquieting Macho Dancer in 1988 but after Mel Chionglo's 1994 glossier version Midnight Dancers, why another macho dancer film? To quote from the film's synopsis, "Their stories have much in common: working to support families or their own ambitions, preyed upon by both men and women, used up long before they hit thirty." Nothing new, right? I am pretty sure our country still has a minefield of stories that producers and writers can explore.
How we will benefit from this 3rd consignment is yet to be seen. I really pray the film industry can move on from topics like this to those that better reflect our ever-evolving society.
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