Macho Dancer is a 1988 Philippine film, directed by Lino Brocka. It explores the realities of a young, poor, rural gay man, who after being dumped by his American boyfriend, is forced to support himself and his family in Manila's seamy red-light district. The film's frank depiction of homosexuality, prostitution, drag queens and crooked cops, the porn industry, sexual slavery, and drugs and violence caused Filipino government censors to order extensive edits of the film. Brocka smuggled an uncensored cut out of the Philippines to be shown to a limited number of international film festivals. The film received a standing ovation at the 1988 Toronto International Film Festival. Macho Dancer was a box office failure in the Philippines due to its heavy censorship, but achieved international festival and critical success.

Plot

Abandoned by his American lover who finished his tour of duty, Pol (Alan Paule) a poor, gay teenager from the mountains is forced to move to Manila and support himself and his family. He enters the underground world of male strippers, prostitution, illegal drugs, sexual exploitation, and sexual slavery. His closest friend is a successful "macho dancer" and call boy, Noel (Daniel Fernando) who takes Pol on as a roommate and acts as his mentor. Noel leads Pol to employment at Mama Charlie's, a male strip club in the district's tourist row frequented by American, European, and Japanese foreigners. Pol is quickly accepted into the community of sex workers and has an immediate rapport with Bambi, a young call girl that often parties on the street with Noel and his friends after work hours.