Markova: Comfort Gay

In a modest residence known as the Home for the Golden Gays, an elderly drag queen named Walterina Markova spends her days surrounded by fellow performers, offering guidance to the next generation of entertainers. A devout Catholic with a gentle, resilient spirit, she carries the weight of a lifetime lived in vivid color and quiet faith. The setting—a close‑knit community in contemporary Manila—brims with a blend of nostalgia and understated humor, while the lingering echo of history hangs over its pastel walls.

A televised report on the plight of wartime comfort women sparks a sudden, almost painful recollection for Markova, prompting her to seek a platform for her own untold story. She reaches out to Loren Legarda, a journalist whose curiosity leads her to the doorstep of the home. Their tentative partnership becomes a conduit for Markova to confront memories that have long been tucked away, offering a rare glimpse into a perspective rarely acknowledged in mainstream narratives.

Markova’s early life unfolded in the 1930s, when she—born Walter Dempster Jr.—first grappled with her gender identity amidst a family that oscillated between acceptance and hostility. The looming shadow of the Japanese occupation cast the city into a world where performance and survival intertwined, and a tight‑knit circle of cross‑dressing dancers navigated a treacherous social landscape. In this charged atmosphere, ordinary entertainers found themselves thrust into extraordinary circumstances that would shape their hidden histories.

Now, in her twilight years, Markova stands at the crossroads of memory and testimony, determined to have her voice heard despite the doubts of those who listen. The film’s tone balances wistful reminiscence with an urgent, questioning pulse, inviting the audience to contemplate the enduring scars of survival, the complexity of identity, and the quiet bravery of telling one’s truth.

Last Updated: October 23, 2025 at 16:23