Parasol Peccadillo Store

Synopsis

20-year-old Manila charmer Iliac returns home to the distant province of Pampanga to tend to the funeral of his philandering alcoholic father. Expressing little concern for this duty, he turns to caring for his ailing mother. What with a questionable career as a massage therapist-cum-sex worker and an ebullient girlfriend getting in the way, Iliac must reconcile his exotic city lifestyle and homosexual preferences with family commitments. The Masseur (Masahista) is a beautifully crafted coming of age tale, imbued with a homosexual desire that conflicts with a society where religion, prejudice and family ties magnify the pressure put upon those that crave such taboo impulses.