Markova: Comfort Gay

Plot

Walterina Markova is a devout Catholic and elderly drag queen who lives at the Home for the Golden Gays and trains Japan-bound entertainers for a living. After watching a report by Loren Legarda on comfort women during World War II, Markova suffers an emotional breakdown and nightmares about her wartime experience. After praying in church, Markova resolves to tell her story and persuades the home's founder, Councilor Justo Justo, to arrange for an interview with Loren. The latter, who initially assumes that she would be interviewing another comfort woman, is shocked when Markova reveals herself to be the "comfort gay" she is looking for, but agrees nevertheless to hear out her story, which she records on tape.

Born Walter Dempster Jr., Markova discovers her sexual identity as a teenager in the 1930s. While she is accepted by her mother and sisters and tolerated by her father, her homophobic elder brother Bobby frequently beats her up and arranges for one of his male friends to rape her. Bobby later dies, having developed tuberculosis from an alcohol-induced ulcer, to Markova's relief.

During the Japanese occupation in 1942, middle-aged Markova and her friends Carmen, Sophie, Anita, and Minerva work as cross-dressing dancers at a nightclub and catch the attention of Japanese officers who mistake them for women. The officers take their group to the Manila Hotel for a tryst, but upon finding that they are biologically male, they are arrested and sent to a barracks, where they are repeatedly raped by Japanese soldiers, earning them the moniker "comfort gays", until they escape during an Allied bombing raid. The experience leaves a deep scar on Markova, which leads her to avoid mentioning the incident for years until she decides to let herself be interviewed by Loren. Sophie embarks on a killing spree of Japanese soldiers in revenge for her rape, which ends with her being captured and dying under torture in Fort Santiago. The group disperses during the Battle of Manila, and Minerva is never heard from again.

After the country's liberation, Markova reunites with Anita and resumes working as a dancer. While cavorting with an American sailor, Markova comes across a psychologically scarred Carmen and helps her re-embrace her sexual identity. Markova eventually stops cross-dressing and works as a makeup artist for celebrity actors. In her elderly years, Markova attends to a dying Anita, who reveals that she had caught AIDS. Frightened, Markova undergoes a blood test and is relieved after she tests negative. She also visits Carmen, who is dying from a heart ailment, and brings her favorite food. Markova later grieves at failing to find their graves on a visit to the cemetery.

Cast

Lead cast

Dolphy as Walter Dempster Jr./Walterina Markova (senior years)

Eric Quizon as Walterina Markova (during his middle years)

Epi Quizon as the young Walter Dempster Jr.

Ricci Chan as Anita

Melvin Lee as Carmen

R.S. Francisco as Minerva

Andoy Ranay as Sophie

Loren Legarda as herself

Joel Lamangan as Councilor Justo Justo

Dexter Doria as Mrs. Dempster, Markova's mother

Freddie Quizon as Robert "Bobby" Dempster

Chandro Concepcion as Roco

Gio Alvarez as the young gay assistant in the Home for the Golden Gays

Nanding Josef as Walter Dempster Sr.

Minor roles

Greg Guerra as older Anita

Luciano "Chaning" Carlos as older Carmen

Andrew E. as Chiquito/"Tintoy"

Jennifer Urbano as Francesca "Frances" Dempster

Ana Rosales as Arabella Dempster

Chandro Concepcion as Roco

Theresa Beron as Guia

Daisy Reyes as Eva Reyes/Rosing

Bembol Roco as Puging

Bearwin Meily as Tuging

Karla Estrada as Markova's Japan-bound talent

Ronnie Quizon as a Japanese soldier flutist

Digital restoration

The film was digitally restored and remastered in 4K high definition by the ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project through the facilities of Central Digital Lab. Since the 35mm master negative print was well-preserved at the ABS-CBN Film Archives, the restoration team of Central Digital Lab took 260 hours to fix the images from instability and eliminate film grain, flicker, and optical dirt. The restoration of the film was completed in 2019, a year before the shutdown of ABS-CBN and its controversial franchise denial in 2020. The 4K restored version of the film was premiered digitally on November 20, 2020, as part of the digital exhibition for the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2020.

Adaptations

The musical Gee-gee at Waterina Ang Musikal is loosely based on the film, focusing on what happened behind the scenes of the movie and featuring fictionalized versions of Markova and Justo Justo figuring out what to do with the money they received for the film rights.

Awards and recognitions

Official selections

2002 Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

2002 San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

2001 Brussels International Film Festival

2001 Brussels International Film Festival

Won Prix de la Meilleure Interpretation, Dolphy, Eric Quizon, and Jeffrey Quizon

2001 FAMAS Awards

Won Best Supporting Actor, Jeffrey Quizon

Won Best Production Design, Kay Abano

Nominated Best Actor, Dolphy

Nominated Best sound, Albert Michael Idioma and Rudy Gonzales

2001 Gawad Urian Awards

Won Best Supporting actor, Jeffrey Quizon

Nominated Best Actor, Dolphy

Nominated Best Music, Joy Marfil

Nominated Best Production Design, Kay Abano

2001 Young Critics Circle

Nominated Best Achievement in Cinematography and Visual Design, Johnny Araojo and Kay Abano

Nominated Best Performance by Male or Female, Adult or Child, Individual or Ensemble in Leading or Supporting Role, Dolphy

2000 Metro Manila Film Festival

Won Best Supporting Actor, Jeffrey Quizon