Irene Arcila in Macho y hembra (1984)

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Review

A trio of university students explores a taboo affair that’s at odds with the restrictive environment of their native Venezuela in the gender-bending Latin American drama Macho y hembra (1984). Daniel (Orlando Urdaneta), Ana (Elba Escobar), and Alicia (Irene Arcila) are close friends who greet the advent of their “adult” lives with a shared commitment to sexual exploration. Despite the repressive mores of their strict Catholic country, the three friends get busy behind closed doors embarking on a repertoire of carnal gymnastics. The title translates to Male and Female, but it’s Escobar and Arcila whom you’re going to want to keep your eyes on. The Latin ladies dazzle as they indulge in threeways, Sapphic experimentation, shower time, and more.