Those Long Haired Nights

In this unflinching yet open-hearted portrait of prostitution, we follow the transgender women Tuesday, Amanda and Barbie, sex workers and friends, through Burgos, the red light district in Manila. Tuesday has an encounter with a rough client who she fears might not accept her; Amanda returns to her province to attend the christening of her ex-girlfriend’s son; Barbie finds herself deeply entangled in the precarious world of drug dealing.

While the risks that come with their job are on full display, the film’s inclusiveness and affection for its characters leave us with warmth. Calmly gliding through bustling neon-lit streets, cinematographer Bradley Liew’s camera exudes a confidence that matches the attentive focus in Gerardo Calagui’s direction. In the film’s rejection of stereotypes, the three women take varying approaches to their work and identity, but most importantly, they accept one another first and foremost as friends.

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