Quark Henares: The Revenge Of The Geek

Quark Henares, hotshot filmmaker, on the fifth day of shooting his second feature film Keka, has one arm on a sling and a half-grimace on his face. He woke up that morning unable to move his right arm and figured it was a difficult Pilates move that did him in. You barely quell the insensitive instinct to confirm if you heard him right the first time. Pilates? Doesn’t his work – running around trying to direct, write, or produce four films, deejaying on NU 107, managing indie rock band Ciudad, and being around some of the country’s proclaimed sex kittens – require heavy breathing, enough that he shouldn’t need to indulge in it for recreation? But the cradled arm speaks for this penchant, and once again you’re given another yet another contradiction to the case study Quark Henares already is.

At 22 and with one box-office hit under his belt, Quark Henares is supposed to be local cinema’s "next big thing". His first feature film Gamitan was a controversial stunner that (somehow) successfully paired the unconventional premises of an indie film with the star power a commercial film usually banks on. His new film Keka starring Katya Santos and Wendell Ramos is another venture Quark hopes will improve local cinema, and Viva hopes will be another money-drawer.

With the arm sling, Quark looks more like the downtrodden comic sidekick rather than the set’s big boss. Without the arm sling, he still doesn’t look like the director of any film–much less a sexy thriller that earned millions at the till. His boyish features, easy gait, and rather dorky grin all promise GP material (PG-13 at the most), you wonder how he comes up with the screwed-up story lines for his films. Gamitan had sex, murder and necrophilia while this new film plays on revenge, action, and more murder. Quark’s plots are as dark and lurid as he is affable and outwardly harmless. "A lot of people who meet me after watching my films are surprised that I’m always joking around and laughing."

There are no traumas to psychoanalyze in Quark’s childhood, no hidden skeletons that hint at schizophrenia. He’s just one of those inherently brilliant people with overactive imaginations – his own fuelled by an early introduction to independent films, comic books, and the angst of the Gen X culture. He was just one of those adolescents who asked way too many questions and absorbed everything in sight.

Quark was a certified geek in high school, and he wears the badge proudly. ("Geeks rule!") While the rest of his peers were struggling with acne and trying to complete their Air Jordan collection, Quark Henares already knew at 15 that he "wanted to work in a medium that told stories." When he was in second year high school, on a high from watching Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Quark made his first film–a shortie entitled Abortion. "I thought it was weird even then."

Well, look where the imagination got the geek – a front row seat to Maui Taylor’s first bed scene, buddy-buddy terms with the rest of the Viva Hot Babes, directorial credit at an age when most people knew squat of what they wanted to do with their life.

While his work doesn’t give away his age, his ardent opinions on the industry offer a hint. Quark belongs to that group of independent artists who constantly work at trying to change the way local films are made. Quark spouts off cuss words directed at the pretense enveloping local film industry and, at the same time, woos it passionately with unconventional idealism. "If I can help bring in a new generation of forward-thinking filmmakers, and Filipino films will be the better for it, I’ll be really happy about that."

And he’ll be really happy too if he’s able to finish off the rest of his shooting days with both arms mobile.

Y STYLE: Is Quark really the name that appears on your birth certificate?

Quark Henares: No. It’s Enrique. My dad’s name is Atom and "quark" is a smaller particle of an atom.

How would you really describe yourself?

(Gesturing to his lunch plate) A man who cannot bend his elbow to eat fish.

What are you involved with right now?

Two films [Keka and a teeny bopper comedy he’ll be shooting in July], a music video for Ely Buendia’s Mongols and I might be doing another one for Sugar Free. I’m also writing one film for another director and producing one film for (yet) another director. I’m trying to fit sleep somewhere in there.

What is the pervading theme in all your films?

I don’t know. It’s weird when people ask me that because I don’t really like analyzing stuff I make. Some people say I like making fun of mass media, others say I always have very powerful female characters, and someone even said that I seem to like showing first dates. Ewan ko lang talaga.

What inspires your storylines?

It may have been the stuff I saw while growing up. Many of my films are pretty f**ked-up, and so some people think I’m disturbed or had a bad childhood. When they meet me they’re actually shocked that I’m telling jokes and smiling all the time. But everything from Twin Peaks to Doom Patrol to The Far Side to Douglas Coupland, even indie pop music, influences the stuff I make.

Tell us about your new film.

Hmm. It’s called Keka – the lead character’s name (it doesn’t mean anything vulgar). It’s a sort of black romantic comedy with a little action and a revenge premise. It stars Katya Santos, Wendell Ramos and Vhong Navarro – three very fantastic actors. We’re shooting for an R-13 rating, so my apologies to anyone expecting nudity.

What was the inspiration for this story?

I honestly don’t know. I’ve been thinking about this movie since I was 15, so probably every little thing that’s occurred between that time and now is the inspiration for this. It’s changed drastically from how I saw it seven years ago, but the central theme and premise are still intact. My art teacher in grade three inspired the character’s name and my girlfriend Lia kind of defined the character herself.

What is your dream project?

This film.

What’s the one thing that keeps you from pursuing this dream?

Well, the one thing that had been keeping me from doing this is the fact that it’s very hard to peg down. Usually studios always like to work in genres. They want you to describe your movie in two words or less: action comedy, family drama, sexy thriller, whatever. This one doesn’t really work in one genre, but it takes a lot from each, and something kind of experimental like that doesn’t leave a good taste in producers’ mouths.

What are your obsessions?

The Uni-ball deluxe signpen and this new movie.

What are your pet peeves?

Crab mentality and close-mindedness.

Whose work do you admire? Why?

Mike de Leon and Lav Diaz, because they are uncompromising. And it’s hard to be uncompromising in the Philippine film industry.

Were you the geek or the cool guy back in school?

Geek, man. Geeks rule!

How has being the child of two unconventional people (local music’s rock monger Atom Henares of NU and lipo royalty Vicki Belo) shaped who you are now?

Like I said before, it’s hard raising your parents. Hahaha. No, I love my parents. They have always been supportive. And they’re more liberal than I am. I had an argument with my mom recently because she thought I should put a love scene in the movie and I refused. And my dad is still bugging me to get a walk-on role in the film.

Are you in the filmmaking industry for the money or to indulge a lifelong passion?

Are you joking? Money? There is no money here.

How much do you wish you’ll earn from this new movie? How much do you think you’ll earn from this new movie?

I don’t like thinking about numbers when making a film. Those are usually set-ups for either disappointment or egomania. I hope that this movie does well at the box-office, but not because of the usual reasons. If it does well it can show that audiences are looking for something different, that they’re tired of the formula romantic comedies and bold films. Then producers will be more willing to experiment and look out for new ideas.

How much did you earn from your last movie?

Oh, Gamitan earned a lot, something like P35 million. That’s why Viva’s taking a risk with me with Keka. I’m grateful about that.

How much of that P35M did you get?

(Makes a zero sign with his hand). The director doesn’t get anything.

Have you ever gotten flak for Gamitan? From whom did it come from?

Well, yeah, there was some flak. Sadly enough a lot of it came from the independent filmmaking circle, which is where I came from. Some said I sold out or that I didn’t deserve to make films, and those are the people I honestly thought would be supportive about this. One more indie filmmaker in the mainstream means that more can come in to share their stories, right? And I got some flak from CBCP too, but then you know what bishops are up to these days. Hahaha.

Have you ever gotten flak for being so young and being who you are now?

Some say I got here because I’m Vicki Belo’s kid, but that’s the funniest sh*t I’ve ever heard. Is it like some ex-deal? "We’ll spend 7 million bucks to fund your kid’s film for a year’s worth of liposuction". It’s pretty ridiculous.

You’ve directed some of the most, uh, well-endowed women in showbusiness from Patricia Javier to Maui Taylor, and now Katya Santos. Is this a conscious thing on your part, or is there a more Freudian reason behind it?

Oh no. but then I worked with Jordan Herrera and Wendell Ramos, too. Is that Freudian as well?

Do you plan to go through each of the Viva Hot Babes?

Well, my next film will star Andrea [del Rosario], and the movie I’m producing right now is the launching movie of Jen Rosendhal, Gwen Garci and Myles Hernandez, and Hazel was in Gamitan. I have worked with all of them except for Christine Jaca but I’ll probably make sure to.

Does that make you "the man" amongst your male friends?

They all tease me about it but I couldn’t really care less. I’m not a big Hot Babes fan. I was there when they were created and I knew some of them before they were launched as Hot Babes so I don’t really think about it.

How much of the material in the films you write and direct are straight from your own fantasies?

Keka has a lot of stuff that I used to daydream about – meeting a girl in the MRT, getting quizzed about childstars – stuff like that. Gamitan, though, had necrophilia and other sick sh*t, which is something I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to.

Do you have any plans of directing another sexy movie? Why or why not?

Not in the near future. One dream project is a bold film ( I love it how everyone calls them "sexy movies" so they don’t sound too politically incorrect), but I don’t want to do one for a long while. My stance on sex flicks isn’t really moral but more cultural. I mean, what does having an industry that thrives on movies with titles like Gamitan, Itlog, Talong, Hubad na Multo, and Ang Palay kapag Bumayo, Nagiging Bigas" (or something equally strange) say about our mass culture? I feel the same way with romantic comedies. Both the erotica and romantic comedy genre are great areas to tell stories in, but can we please try something else out once in a while?

Do you believe that doing sexy films is the fastest way to make a name for yourself in showbusiness?

As they say you either have to start with the sex or the mush. Most all directors are forced to start with either of the two types. Why? Because they’re the ones that rely least on story and more on star power. It’s sickening.

What do you think of directors who request for "special favors" from their actors?

I hate directors or managers or producers who abuse power. It’s really hard trying to keep moral ground in showbusiness, because everyone seems to be able to justify things. It’s really wrong. There are no two ways around that sort of thing.

Has any wannabe approached you and offered "special favors?"

It’s weird. Some managers come up to me and say "Direk, ito po si Candy." And I say "hello" and we’re just both there standing, not knowing what to say to each other. But nothing too blatant, really.

You say you love what you do yet you seem to have a lot of angst about the industry? What’s with the love-hate relationship?

I love filmmaking, I hate showbusiness. It’s as simple as that. I hate the intrigue and the lies. One person can be praised and the next minute, when that person makes a flop, everyone’s against him. It’s sickening. Until now I hate it that the prevalent system in Philippine cinema is still the studio system which it shouldn’t be. It should be more about stories and types of films rather than star power.

Won’t your producers kill you for saying all this?

Yes. But that’s OK. They know my views. I’ve never been secretive about how I feel about showbusiness. I hate it when a director says, "I’m going to change Philippine cinema" because no one director can change Philippine cinema. It has to be a movement and that movement will only happen if producers start being open-minded about things.

How was it directing your first kissing scene? Your first bed scene?

My first kissing scene was between two girls in a film I did in college. That was really fun because both girls were conservative classmates of mine. My first bed scene was also in a college film. My girlfriend then was my producer, so it was pretty nerve-wracking.

Two girls kissing? Once again, is that a scene straight out of your fantasy? Or was it really done for the sake of art?

I don’t know. In Gamitan we also had a scene that showed two girls kissing and in one music video, there were also two girls kissing. I don’t know, man.

Oh c’mon. Isn’t that supposed to be every guy’s fantasy?

I have no idea. Then again, there’s killing in my films and I won’t say that I fantasize about doing that as well.

Do you look forward to directing your sex scenes?

No. I get really scared. I don’t know how to direct sex scenes. The first bed scene I did was for a film I made in college. They asked, "What do you want us to do?" and I said, "Do whatever you want." Same thing with Gamitan. It was also Maui’s first bed scene so we were both nervous…I really can’t direct love scenes for sh*t. I come up with the worst sex scenes.

But they work.

Ya, they work.

When one of your films wins a major award, whom will you thank?

The first on my list though would be Myrene Academia and Diego Casillo from NU 107 for getting me into this mess. Myrene introduced me to indie music and Diego introduced me to Tarantino and Scorcese films. I’ll thank my parents for supporting the mess that I got into, and Vincent del Rosario for giving me a shot. I wasn’t supposed to be the director for Gamitan. I was just supposed to write it but the director pulled out and Vincent said "Why don’t we let Quark direct it since we know he can do it anyway?" and nobody really agreed because I’m really young but he really pushed for it and for that I’m forever grateful to him. And of course, I’ll thank Lia for being the cutest Avid editor in history.

Being the son of Vicki Belo, are you entitled to any free services? Have you availed of any of the services she’s offered?

Oh yes. Ever since I was 16 she’s been bugging me to get a lipo for free. Or a facial. Or a scrub. Or whatever. I never took any of the offers.

Why?

I think it’s my personal form of rebellion – actually not caring about the way I look.

What earns you more pogi points – being an upcoming hotshot director or being Vicki Belo’s son?

Being Vicki Belo’s son. There are more girls who have come up to me asking for a discount as opposed to people who’ve said that they liked Gamitan. Most of the people who say they enjoyed my last movie are boys, and that’s useless pogi points anyway.

Does your girlfriend mind you being around so many hot girls?

Oo naman. I would too if she were like the manager of Masculados or something. But she knows why I’m here. We both studied film together and we both work in the industry so we can relate to both our dreams and the shit we have to put up with.

You think she’ll mind you answering these questions?

Nah. Good thing all the things I just said were lies.

Thanks so much. That wasn’t so hard, right?

Are you kidding?