THE MASSEUR
Directed by Brillante Mendoza

In Manila, 20-year-old Iliac and his hot, young male co-workers give massage and a whole lot more to their gay clientele. When Iliac’s philandering father passes away, the young man must reconcile his career as a sex worker with his role as son and brother to his grieving Mom and siblings.

Stars ALAN PAULE and JACLYN JOSE of Lino Brocka’s gay classic MACHO DANCER. And introducing COCO MARTIN as Iliac.

Philippines / 80 min. / in Tagalog & Pampango with English, Spanish & French subtitles



WINNER - GOLDEN LEOPARD AWARD
Locarno International Film Festival 2005
co-winner, video section

WINNER - BEST FILM
WINNER - BEST PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Young Critics Circle, Philippines

WINNER - AUDIENCE AWARD
2006 Turin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

WINNER - INTERFAITH JURY AWARD
2006 Brisbane International Film Festival




“Beautifully shot and lyrically paced, THE MASSEUR draws viewers into the thorny, illicit world of thinly veiled sex work.”
OUTFEST LOS ANGELES GAY/LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

“A sexy, touching drama of a young man torn between two worlds.”
Lawrence Ferber, PHILADELPHIA INT'L GAY/LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

“ADORABLE!”
Jay Weissberg, VARIETY

“Outstanding! The film brings the same cool ambiguity to its presentation of sexuality as it does to matters moral and physiological.”
Tony Rayns, LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

“Unforgettable! Moving! It completely engages the viewer! The film is shot as cinema verite, cunning in structure, and a beauty to watch. Coco Martin as Illiac shows great intensity and talent for a first time actor. It is an amazing look at gay life in the Philippines!”
Amos Lassen, CINEMA PRIDE

“The juxtaposition of oiled bodies and sacramental rites creates an intense portrait of the contradictions that influence the young masseur's life.”
BRISBANE INT'L FILM FESTIVAL

“While there is certainly a lot of young, scantily-clad eye candy on display here, Mendoza doesn’t skimp on art and atmosphere….”
Lawrence Ferber, PHILADELPHIA INT'L GAY/LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

“Intriguing! THE MASSEUR portrays gay sexuality quite seriously and artfully.”
Ana La O, ASIA PACIFIC ARTS - UCLA ASIA INSTITUTE

“A fine achievement! …an intricately structured meditation on the body in life and death which divides its attention between a funeral and acts of sex without flinching from either.”
VANCOUVER INT'L FILM FESTIVAL

“Dripping with erotic longing and explosive passion.”
OUTFEST LOS ANGELES GAY/LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

“Filled with beautiful shots of gorgeous men and fabulous camerawork, THE MASSEUR becomes much more than an exercise in titillation about sex workers in the Philippines. Though the hot guys certainly don’t lessen your interest!”
Mark Peikert, HX MAGAZINE

“Director Brillante Mendoza has found the balance between sensual imagery and social comment that makes this little film work very well indeed. ”
Grady Harp, AMAZON.COM




Featurette: THE MASSEUR in Toronto
Scene selections
Trailer
Coming attractions
Dolby 5.1 & 2.0 audio
Optional subtitles






2006 Bangkok International Film Festival
2006 Mardi Gras Film Festival (Sydney, Australia)
2006 Melbourne Queer Film Festival
2006 Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Films
2006 Torino Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
2006 Jeonju International Film Festival (Korea)
2006 Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
2006 CinemAsia Film Festival (Amsterdam)
2006 Durban Intl. Film Festival (South Africa)
2006 Frameline San Francisco Int’l LGBT Film Festival
2006 Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
2006 OutFest The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
2006 Out Takes: A Real Queer Film Festival (New Zealand)
2006 Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
2006 Barcelona International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
2006 Brisbane International Film Festival (Australia)
2006 Ciclo Rosa Film Festival (Bogota)
2006 London Film Festival
2006 Taipei Film Festival
2006 Image+Nation Montreal International LGBT Film Festival
2005 Toronto International Film Festival
2005 Vancouver International Film Festival
2005 Chicago International Film Festival
2005 Flanders International Film Festival
2005 Vienna International Film Festival
2005 Mostra International Film Festival (São Paulo)
2005 Ljubljana International Film Festival (Slovenia)
2005 Thessaloniki International Film Festival
2005 Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film & Video Festival
2005 Tallin Black Nights Film Festival (Estonia)