The late director Wenn V. Deramas was going to launch his biography next month entitled Direk 2 Da Poynt.
“We’ll have to discuss timelines again given this development,” said Eric Cabahug of Viva Communications. Deramas passed away after a heart attack this morning.
The book has six chapters chronicling the rise of his career, and includes advice and tips from the blockbuster director on life and being a director. It also has quotes and side stories from John Lapus, Jaclyn Jose, Claudine Barretto, Viva’s Boss Vic, Vice Ganda and Lauren Dyogi — people in the industry he has worked with.
Some of the stories are inspirational.
Long before he became a film director, Edwin Villanes Deramas took on a short stint as a waiter at Aristocrat Restaurant. He also tried a sales job in a multinational company that folded up. His first job in media was at ABS-CBN for the show Tatak Pinoy.
When he was interviewed by the show’s director, Laurenti Dyogi, even if he had zero broadcasting experience, Deramas made a bold proposition. He said he would agree to undergo training for free and if Dyogi was unsatisfied with his performance, then they could just not hire him.
He was eventually hired, and to save up on his commuting expenses, he would sleep on top of the office filing cabinets.
Some scenes from his movies were also borrowed from his personal experience. In Tanging Ina, the character of Ai-Ai delas Alas is a single working mother of 12. In real life, Wenn’s mother had to take care of her five children on her own after her husband disappeared in Vietnam during the war and they kept transferring houses — 11 in total.
The life of Wenn Demaras was truly full of colors.
Some of the stories are heartbreaking. Some are unbelievably funny. Some simply show what a brilliant and artistic director he truly was.
Direk Wenn will not only be remembered as a good director who created his own brand of Pinoy comedy. Ultimately, his greatest achievement was being a rock and anchor who spread love and light in spite of his melodramatic life.
