RICHARD SOMES EXPLORES THE AFTERLIFE IN 'NEAR DEATH'

IN HIS NEW FILM “NEAR DEATH,” RICHARD SOMES RETURNS TO HIS HORROR ROOTS while expanding his work as a producer, writer and director willing to explore themes that are deeper, darker, if not more difficult to tread.

- BY NATHALIE TOMADA

“It’s another venture — producing my own film,” Richard said in a recent interview with The STAR. “I’m always glad na may mga nagpa-partners pa rin na mga young entrepreneurs also ... that at least, when they see the script, they say yes to (it). It’s exciting na sariling sikap ba.”

“I’ve been producing most of my films since the indie days. That's my training ground,” he recalled. “I produced an action film that I brought to the New York Asian Film Festival, ‘We Will Not Die Tonight’ with Erich (Gonzales). Doon nabuksan talaga ang pananaw ko na somehow nakaka-penetrate tayo, that we could really make waves anywhere in the world, kahit maliit lang siya na project.”

He followed it up with the PTSD-themed action-thriller “Topakk (Triggered),” which he also brought to international festivals such as Cannes and Locarno.

But with “Near Death,” the filmmaker from Bacolod found himself circling back to the genre that first defined his work. “So, this is our new venture. It’s an undying passion kasi ngayon it’s just so hard to really make films for cinemas.”

In case you don’t know, Richard started out as a horror director via “Shake, Rattle & Roll” in 2005.

“My first two projects really started in horror — from ‘Shake, Rattle & Roll’ (wherein) I made ‘Ang Lihim ng San Joaquin’ episode starring Mark Anthony Fernandez and Tanya Garcia. Then I made ‘Yanggaw,’ an Ilonggo indie film that became critically acclaimed kahit small budget lang for Cinema One Originals.

“After that, I did ‘Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang’ starring Derek Ramsay and Erich. And then, tuloy-tuloy na.”