Los Angeles, Jul 29 (IANS/EFE): The interest sparked by a lesbian scene featuring Eva Longoria and Mexican actress Kate del Castillo has marked the US debut of the comedy "Without Men".

In the film, Longoria distances herself from her well-known character in "Desperate Housewives" to play the part of a strong-willed widow who winds up becoming the mayor of her town when leftist guerrillas kidnap all the men.

It is a situation that the female residents of the remote town overcome, however, forging a new type of utopian society and the experience fosters a great love for one another among the surviving townspeople.

"It's good that the people are going to see it out of prurient interest, although the film is more than that," Argentine director Gabriela Tagliavini - who undertook to adapt the story based on the novel "Tales from the Town of Widows" by Colombian-born author James Canon - told EFE.

"It's a human and social proposal but in the form of a daring comedy. We seize on the cliches and we laugh about them," Tagliavini said, insisting that "it's not a lesbian drama" and neither is it a feminist allegory.

Longoria "really liked the script", said the director who, with a very small filming budget, relied on personal relationships to assemble the cast consisting of Longoria, Del Castillo, Christian Slater, Oscar Nunez, Maria Conchita Alonso and Monica Huarte, among others.

With regard to the already famous sex scene between Longoria and Del Castillo, part of which is shown in the film's trailer, Tagliavini admitted that the two actresses were "a little nervous and were laughing" about doing the scene.

"Without Men" will hit the screen Friday in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, and over the next few weeks it will begin showing in San Diego, San Antonio and Miami.