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The life and career of Wenn Deramas

Joan Leary

<div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-wenn1_main.jpg" alt="030116-wenn1_main.jpg" width="400" height="290" align="center" border="0"/><br/></div><br/>Fans and friends mourned over the sudden death Wenn V. Dermas who succumbed to cardiac arrest on February 29. He leaves behind a legacy of blockbuster movies and hit TV shows. In a portrait made by actor-photographer <a href="www.jojitlorenzo.com">Jojit Lorenzo</a> , one can see a collage of the director’s iconic movies and TV series that he has made through the years. <br/><br/>Here’s a look back on the life and career of the blockbuster director<br/><br/><div style="text-align:center"><img src="" alt="030116-wenn_main.jpg" width="551" height="363" align="center" border="0"/><br/></div><br/><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Direk     Wenn as a waiter<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in">Direk Wenn finished B.S. in Hotel and Restaurant Management and becamea waiter for some time.</p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="2" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Direk     Wenn as a P.A. (Production Assistant)<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in">Direk Wenn started in the industry as a production assistant before hewas assigned to be a writer on <i>Teysi ngTahanan</i>.</p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="3" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Direk     Wenn as a writer<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in">After being a production assistant on the TV show <i>Tatak Pilipino</i>, he was assigned to be a writer on <i>Teysi ng Tahanan</i> and eventually becamean executive producer for the 1995 TV show <i>CalventoFiles.</i></p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="4" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Direk     Wenn as a director<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in">After picking up tips and experience in filmmaking, he eventually becamea director.<br/><br/></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>TV Series<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>Marina (2004) <br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-marina_main.jpg" alt="030116-marina_main.jpg" width="500" height="320" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><div></div><b><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><i>Marina </i>was an ABS-CBN fantaserye where OptimumStar Claudine Barretto portrayed Marina, a mermaid.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>Kampanerang Kuba (2005)<br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-kampanerang_main.jpg" alt="030116-kampanerang_main.jpg" width="500" height="223" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><b><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><i>Kampanerang Kuba </i>is another ABS-CBN fantasy soap opera,which was inspired by the 1973 film <i>KampanerangKuba</i> which starred Vilma Santos and Bobot Mortiz. Anne Curtis portrayed asImang, the hunchbacked bell-ringer.<br/><br/></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>Kokey (2007)<br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-kokey_main.jpg" alt="030116-kokey_main.jpg" width="375" height="258" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><b><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><i>Kokey </i>was directed by Wenn Deramas and RuelBayani. Direk Wenn also directed the sequel of this series entitled <i>Kokey @ Ako</i> which starred Toni Gonzagaand Vhong Navarro.</p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>Dyosa (2008)<br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-dyosa_main.jpg" alt="030116-dyosa_main.jpg" width="450" height="195" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><b><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><i>Dyosa </i>had Anne Curtis playing the role of a goddess.(Anne is frequently dubbed as “Dyosa” because of this TV series.) Her co-starswere Sam Milby and Luis Manzano.<br/><br/></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>Galema: Anak ni Zuma (2013)<br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-galema1_main.jpg" alt="030116-galema1_main.jpg" width="400" height="373" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><b><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><i>Galema: Anak ni Zuma </i>was based on the comic book <i>Zuma </i>by Jim Fernandez. Andi Eigenmannportrayed Galema Castillo-Villalobos.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>MOVIES<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>Ang Tanging Ina (2003)<br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-tangingina_main.jpg" alt="030116-tangingina_main.jpg" width="328" height="389" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><b><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><i>Ang Tanging Ina </i>was a comedy film which starred Ai-Ai delasAlas. The movie had sequels which were also helmed by Direk Wenn: <i>Ang Tanging Ina niyong Lahat </i>(2008) and <i>Ang Tanging Ina Mo (Last na ‘to!) </i>(2010).<o:p></o:p></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin(2011)<br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-praybeyt.jpg" alt="030116-praybeyt.jpg" width="500" height="667" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><b><br/><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><i>The Unkabogable PraybeytBenjamin </i>starring ViceGanda was the first Filipino film to break the P300 million mark at the boxoffice. It was the highest grossing Filipino film in 2011 and after thissuccess, every movie team up of Vice and direk Wenn became a blockbuster.<br/><br/></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy(2013)<br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-gbbt.jpg" alt="030116-gbbt.jpg" width="499" height="720" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><b><br/><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in">This movie had Vice playing quadruplets who have been separated for along time.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>Maria Leonora Teresa (2014)<br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-marialeonora.jpg" alt="030116-marialeonora.jpg" width="500" height="149" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><b><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><i>Maria Leonora Teresa </i>is a horror-suspense film that starredactors Zanjoe Marudo, Iza Calzado, and Jodi Sta. Maria.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><br/></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin(2014)<br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-amazing.jpg" alt="030116-amazing.jpg" width="310" height="410" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><b><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><i>The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin</i> is the sequel to <i>The Unkabogable</i> <i>PraybeytBenjamin</i>. The movie earned P435 million and it became the highest-grossingfilms in the Philippines then.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><b>Beauty and the Bestie (2015)<br/><br/></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b><img src="https://push-data.abs-cbn.com/push/archive/features/2016/030116/PUSH%20PIN/030116-beaouty.jpg" alt="030116-beaouty.jpg" width="460" height="664" align="center" border="0"/><br/></b></div><b><o:p></o:p></b><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><o:p></o:p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><i>Beauty and the Bestie</i> is direk Wenn’s last film to compete inthe Metro Manila Film Fest. The movie starred Coco Martin, Vice Ganda and thepopular love team of James Reid and Nadine Lustre. It is currently the highestgrossing Filipino film of all time for domestic gross sales.<o:p></o:p></p><br/>