Direk Onat’s 9-year-old dream film has come true

Now that Kung Fu Divas is opening today nationwide, debuting movie director Jonathan ”Onat” Diaz can heave a big sigh of relief.

You see, Onat waited for nine years for his “obra” to see the light of day, with no less than two “queens” playing the lead roles — Ai-Ai de las Alas and Marian Rivera as bitter rivals for the Hiyas ng Dalampasigan beauty pageant forced to become allies by an unexpected turn of events that brings out their martial-arts skills.

“It was easy working on the movie with Ai-Ai and Marian because I’ve worked with them in commercials,” admitted Onat who started directing commercials before he ventured into television and now movies, just like Peque Gallaga, Erik Matti and Paul Soriano. While at McCann-Erickson, Onat directed Ai-Ai in several commercials (for Maggi, etc.)  and Marian in more than two. “On the set, there was no pressure at all. Ang gaan-gaan ng trabaho.”

The only problem was how to match the schedules of the two actresses. Marian was busy with the GMA soap Temptation of Wife and suffering from a recurrence of migraine (caused by an inflamed nerve in her head) while Ai-Ai was stuck in a marital problem.

“Even then,” said Onat, “Marian would show up on the set on or ahead of time even if she lacked sleep. Talagang dedicated siya sa project and she really believed in it. Same with Ai-Ai who was fun on the set in spite of the roller-coaster situation she was in, kadalasan namumugto ang mga mata sa kaiiyak sa problema niya. But the moment I shouted ‘Action!,’ they were instantly transformed. You will see that in the movie. You will never think na may mga problema silang pinagdadaanan during the shoot.”

Ai-Ai said in jest that one welcome “distraction” on the set was actor Edward Mendez’s precious part shining through, prompting Ai-Ai to call him “Mr. Big Bird,” and Onat can only laugh at it.

“As Ai-Ai and Marian’s kung fu instructor,” said Onat, “Edward was in a flimsy white costume, almost half-naked as I wrote the character in the script, so you can’t help but notice what Ai-Ai is talking about.”

From McCann, Onat was recruited by ABS-CBN to direct The Buzz, which he has been doing since 2005. At the same time, he was already conceptualizing Kung Fu Divas which he would eventually co-produce under his newly-formed O & Co. Picture Company, Star Cinema, Reality Entertainment, Ai-Ai and Marian.

“Actually, the idea started taking shape in my mind in 2004, so the movie was nine years in the making,” said Onat who graduated with a CommArts degree from Maryknoll (now Miriam College). “Dondon (Monteverde of Reality Entertainment) asked me what kind of movie I wanted to do and I said, ‘A kung fu movie na baklang-bakla ang sensibilidad.’ Dondon said that he wanted to do the same. But we just laughed about it then. But I never shelved the idea, until four years ago when I sat down to write the script. Last year, Dondon and I seriously discussed the project.”

After Kung Fu Divas, Onat wants to do other kinds of movies for his O & Co. Picture Company.

“I am working on four scripts but I still don’t know kung ano ang uunahin ko,” revealed Onat who was a Mowelfund scholar but has never had any formal training in filmmaking. “My next project will hopefully be something na naiiba, yung hindi pa nagagawa ng iba.”

Meet the Aces

Curious Funfare readers have been asking for a brief backgrounder of the nine members of the Aces, the team mentioned prominently as the trainers of beauty queens before they compete abroad, foremost of them Megan Young who has just bagged the first Miss World crown for the Philippines. The team is actually called Aces & Queens (A&Q, with “queens” referring to their “wards”). Here they are (at random): 

1. Jonas Antonio Gaffud — President & CEO of Mercator Models and Talent Management. B.S. Geography graduate from UP Diliman. A&Q chief trainor and also for pasarella or walking style (take note of Venus Raj’s “pilapil walk,” Shamcey Supsup’s “tsunami walk” and Janine Tugonon’s “cobra walk”). For Megan, her walk and look were patterned after Audrey Hepburn and Princess Grace Kelly — classic Hollywood style. Jonas also trains the girls on projection, final look and packaging. Overall approval always comes from Jonas. 

2. Arnold “Mama Ruffa” Mercado — Global Senior Executive, Pilipinas Shell. Civil Engineering graduate from UP Diliman, A&Q - Manager, Logistics, Training and Schedules. Also assists in Q&A, Personality Development. 

3. Mark Bessie Besana — Civil Engineering graduate from De La Salle University. Hewlett Packard Real Estate Delivery Specialist. A&Q - Wardrobe and Scheduling. 

4. Nad Bronce - Lawyer. Cum Laude, College of Law, UP Diliman. A&Q - Question and Answer, Personality Development. 

5. John Jay Cuay — Physical therapist, Exercise Physiologist, Fitness trainer. Gold’s Gym and Philippine Daily Inquirer. 

6. Albert Kurniawan — Most sought-after Indonesian stylist to beauties and stars. A&Q - Trainor for Makeup and Hairstyle. 

7. Jeffrey Jeturian — Award-winning director of critically and internationally acclaimed films like Kubrador and Tuhog. Recently directed Vilma Santos in Ekstra. Director of the big hit ABS-CBN soap Please Be Careful With My Heart. A&Q - Adviser and Beauty Search. Introduced Megan to Jonas and the Aces & Queens Team. 

8. Cesar Evangelista — Film director, writer, talent manager and professor. Recently directed the Cinemalaya film Amor y Muerte starring Althea Vega and Markki Stroem. A&Q - Adviser, Beauty Search. 

9. Gerry Diaz — CPA, Magna Cum Laude, University of the East. Region Head and Senior Vice President, BDO. Contributor to Ricky Lo’s Funfare. Former President of Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines. A&Q - Adviser. Assists in Q&A, Writer, Photographer, Beauty Search. 

So far, here are the major international winners trained by Aces and Queens: 

1.  Megan Young, Miss World 2013 

2. Janine Tugonon, Miss Universe 2012 first runner-up 

3. Gwendoline Ruais, Miss World 2011 first runner-up 

4. Shamcey Supsup, Miss Universe 2011 third runner-up 

5. Venus Raj, Miss Universe 2010 fourth runner-up 

Incidentally, Funfare’s “other beauty expert” Celso de Guzman Caparas did a recap of the Asians who have won the three major international beauty contests and the first title-holders:

• Miss World — India, five (Reita Faria in 1966; Aishwarya Rai, 1994; Diana Haydan, 1997; Yukta Mookhey, 1999; and Priyanka Mini Chopra, 2000)…China, two (Zhang Zilin in 2007 and Wenxia Yu in 2012…and the Philippines, one.

• Miss Universe — Japan, two (Akiko Kojima in 1959 and Riyo Mori in 2007)…Philippines, two (Gloria Diaz in 1969 and Margie Moran in 1973)…India, two (Sushmita Sen in 1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000)…and Thailand, two (Apasra Hongsakula in 1965 and Porntip Nakhirunkanok in 1988).

• Miss International — Philippines, four (Gemma Cruz in 1964, Aurora Pijuan in 1970, Melanie Marquez in 1979 and Precious Lara Quigaman in 2005).

(E-mail reactions at [email protected].)