By George Vail Kabristante March 7, 2020

Director Richard V. Somes fondly dreamed of becoming a seaman, but his schedule to sail off was inordinately bumped off. Returning to Bacolod City with a sob story to his parents was not an option.

He found himself instead doing odd jobs under the art department of an uncle-film director Erik Matti, who sheltered him secretly at Mother Lily Monteverde’s warehouse in Valencia production outfit.

Serendipitously, the artist in Richard prevailed from 2005 to the present, winning awards initially in art directions, production designs and rose to become an award-winning film director himself as well, including a long-running action teleserye to his credit.

His current one is ABS-CBN’s “A Soldier’s Heart,” now lording over the ratings game.

Richard lately won Best Director and Best Film for his oeuvre “Peste” at the 3rd European Philippine International Film Festival (EPIFF) in Florence, Italy.

Moving on, the maverick director recently wrapped up his multimillion full-throttle action mayhem titled “Kid Alpha One,” topbilled by 24-year old Star Magic talent and former TV show “Sportz Kid” host Javier “Javi” Benitez, son of former Congressman Albee Benitez, who is the film’s solo producer and the director’s kasimanwa (province mate).

Helmed a la “Fast And Furious,” the film is shot against the refreshing locale of the stretch of haciendas in Silay City, Negros Occidental. The cast includes Christopher de Leon, international magician Jeff Tam and Fil-Am action star Ian Taylor, among others.

Director Richard is awed by the heart-tugging stunts of Javi, a gifted six-footer, martial arts pro who holds a college degree from a Los Angeles University.

His fight instructor for TV and films, Jhap Bahian, is equally amazed at the actor’s gut-wrenching and buwis-buhay (death-defying) out-and-out fireworks more than hand-to-hand combat that would put perhaps any of “Avengers” heroes to shame.

Not too long ago, Javi was launched in the ABS-CBN musical Sunday TV program “ASAP” and spectators were in daze over his oozing Adonis physique and drop-dead good looks.

The blitzkrieg event put instant stardom on the lap of the new action hero in-the-making.

In any case, the full-packed action bonanza is Javi Benitez’s breakthrough solo role into the international market.

No doubt this is one dream come true both for director Richard and his ward — as their collaboration has reportedly conquered the much-coveted global broadcast on Netflix for at least seven months before it proudly goes back home for its local airing.