Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez docu on Vimeo

LORNA Tolentino (left photo) in a scene from the docu; and LT with husband Rudy Fernandez (right photo, center), sons Renz and Rap (first row, from left, and inset) , and friends Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Phillip Salvador and Tirso Cruz III (second row, from left) .

To mark the 64th birth anniversary of the late action star Rudy Fernandez on March 3, his family decided to share the documentary on his life and career, “The Last Pinoy Action King” on Vimeo.

For a few days, friends and fans of the action star were able to watch the docu for free, with the password given by the Fernandezes on Facebook.

Vimeo is a video-sharing website that allows netizens to upload and view videos on high-definition format.

Daboy, as the action star was known in the biz, died of cancer on June 7, 2008.

Son Rap Fernandez told the Inquirer that the family “hopes to get as many people to see the film … by hook or by crook, on any medium possible, all across the world.” The family eyes a possible screening at the art-house venue Cinema ’76 or in select SM theaters, he said. “A TV airing is in the works, too.”

He is not too optimistic about making it available on video-on-demand, though. “It might not pass the iTunes video standards due to stressed archival footage.”

A virtual treasure trove not only of Daboy’s early films, but of old TV interviews and home movies, as well, the docu underlines the urgency of preserving cultural material—whether movies or TV shows.

The docu, directed by Andrew Leavold from a script by Daniel Palisa, premiered as the opening presentation of QCinema International Film Festival October last year.

Rap felt the first cut was “a bit rushed.” “So, we went back to the drawing board,” he recalled. “The docu had undergone months of further work and trimming. We also fixed the sound and tweaked some parts. I feel quite good about the current incarnation.”

When he first saw the docu, Rap felt as if he went on a “roller-coaster ride of nostalgia, longing and pride.”

Apart from footage of Rap and brother Renz as toddlers, one home video (that was shot by Daboy who was an avid videographer) showed their mom Lorna Tolentino on a plane.

“I was glad that I got to transfer the file from tape to digital format,” he said.

Rap entrusted two foreigners with his father’s story based on a hunch. “It paid off well. I knew that Daniel and Andrew had just finished another docu on Filipino movies (“The Search for Weng Weng”). That they had been shooting in the Philippines for the past eight years.”

He is thankful to editor Lawrence Ang and his team and line producer Kristine Kintana, as well. The crew had to work on at least 11 hours of interviews with Daboy’s various coworkers and relatives—not to mention just as numerous files of archival footage.

Still, Rap hopes to include more interviews of his dad’s colleagues—particularly, actress Vilma Santos, director Romy Suzara and former President Joseph Estrada. One interview that Rap regrets not getting is that of TV host German Moreno who passed away in January.

The interview that moved Rap was that of his dad’s manager Lolit Solis. “I was present during the shoot and had to leave the room. Some of those segments didn’t make it to the movie, though.”

Is a Part Two in the offing?