Although Villa Estrella is his debut as a director for Star Cinema, Rico Maria Ilarde has been a part of the film outfit’s creative team for nearly a decade now and has directed episodes of past TV series Nginiig and Pedro Penduko. At the press conference of Villa Estrella, the director said that he is very happy that Star Cinema has entrusted him with helming the new horror offering.

Direk Rico finished a Film Video course at the California College of Arts. In 1999, he directed Regal Films’ action-horror flick Dugo ng Birhen which starred Monsour Del Rosario and Klaudia Koronel followed by Ang Babaeng Putik which featured Klaudia Koronel again with Carlos Morales. His indie film Sa Ilalim ng Cogon which starred Julia Clarete and Yul Servo competed at the Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre Fantasy Film Festival. He also directed the Aquarium episode of Ara Mina and Ogie Alcasid in the seventh installment of the Shake, Rattle, & Roll horror franchise. His film for Cinema One Originals, Altar, which starred Zanjoe Marudo and Dimples Romana, won Best Picture at film fests in Rotterdam and Vancouver.

The director grew up admiring films like Pyscho by Alfred Hitchcock, Jaws by Steven Spielberg, Don’t Look Now by Nicolas Roeg, and other works by Brian De Palma and Roman Polanski. “I grew up on suspense-thrillers. I find them very cathartic. You come out the two-hour movie experience cleansed, feeling light, even if it means being frightened,” he said.

Villa Estrella is top-billed by hot young stars Shaina Magdayao, Jake Cuenca, Maja Salvador, and Geoff Eigenmann. Direk Rico revealed that the characters played by these four actors will be the driving force of Villa Estrella. “I feel that in order to scare the audiences you have to give them characters that they can root for. You have to get the sympathy of the people on these characters, then you put these characters in a sort of dangerous or scary situation. Those are the important little things that make up the whole of the film. I also believe in the natural acting to make every scene look real.”

Having done projects also for Regal Films, Direk Rico has learned the importance of putting Filipino flavor into his works, whether a horror film or not. “Laking Mother Lily (Monteverde, head of Regal Films) po ako, ha ha ha! She’s always in tune to the taste of the Filipino audience. The moment I got into mainstream filmmaking ‘yun na ang natanim sa isip ko that’s why ‘yung mga past films ko although nakilala abroad e napaka-Pinoy ng flavor nila, sa characters at dialogues. Ang dad ko din e taong-masa talaga. Villa Estrella was written with Filipino audiences in mind and I directed it with Filipino audiences in mind.”

Stars Jake and Shaina have nothing but praises for their Villa Estrella director. Jake confessed that he was a fan of Direk Rico’s Altar. “I’m very honored to work with Direk Rico. I told him sa shooting na gandang ganda ako sa movie niya na Altar. I know the film kasi best friend ko si Zanjoe. I’m also a big fan of horror films. Inasikaso kami ni Direk from day one until the end. He made sure na maganda at pogi kami sa screen. Binantayan niya ‘yung acting namin, sinigurado niyang tama lang kasi ayaw niyang magmukhang sobrang drama. Natural lang, like everything else in the set.” Meanwhile, Shaina thanked Direk Rico for teaching her a kind of acting different from what she had been used to in teleseryes. “Masyado kasi akong nasanay sa teleserye acting na laging pag-day ender o week-ender ang reaksyon. Tatanungin niya talaga kami kung ano ‘yung normal naming reaksyon kung sakaling mangyari nga sa totoong buhay ‘yung eksena.”

Catch Villa Estrella premiering in theaters nationwide beginning July 1. The film will also be screened in the US from July 10 until 16 at the UA Stonestown Twin in San Francisco and at the UA Horton Plaza in San Diego.

Related Link

• Star Cinema: Villa Estrella