Christine Bermas shares Direk Joel Lamangan’s advice to new crop of sexy stars

Christine Bermas

After doing a couple of sexy flicks for Vivamax, newbie actress Christine Bermas no longer feels awkward about shooting intimate scenes or showing some skin in front of the cameras. Watching them, however, is a different story.

“I just can’t look at myself … I always tell myself that, well, I already knew what I did, so I don’t feel the need to watch,” she said in a virtual conference for “Island of Desire,” her latest movie for the said digital streaming platform.

Besides, she said, the movies she did recently were more story-driven.

“I can say that I’m now well-adjusted to what I do. It was tough at first of course. But eventually, I learned how to try to just play with the sexy scenes. And the films I have done are focused on the story and the acting,” she said.

Joel Lamangan

Directed by Joel Lamangan, “Island of Desire” is about a nurse named Martha (Christine), who was assigned to work at a regional health office on a remote island. She befriends the locals including the motorcycle rider Leloy (Sean de Guzman), whom she falls in love with.

But as Martha stays longer on the island, she begins to discover strange things about the place, including a cult under the spell of an abusive leader.

Room for growth

The 19-year-old former member of the pop group Belladonnas is well-aware that she still has a lot of room for growth. That’s why she embraces all comments about her and her performances—good or bad—on social media.

“I welcome them. I do appreciate good comments. But I also try to accept the bad ones, because some of them are constructive,” she said.

“Sometimes, reading these comments allows me to assess myself better and makes me aware of the things I have to adjust or things I can still improve,” she added.

Direk Joel is known for strictness on the set. But working with the filmmaker, Christine insisted, was never intimidating for her.

“I have been scolded, but that’s because he wants you to show what you know you’re capable of. I wasn’t intimidated. I was nervous about doing my job as an actress and delivering what was needed,” she said. “It’s all about respect.”

In fact, Christine is grateful for all the advice Direk Joel gives her in between takes.

“Dapat hindi lang katawan ang puhunan,” Joel reminded Christine and the new crop of sexy stars. “You also need talent. You have to study to improve your acting so you can achieve longevity in this business. They won’t be young forever.” “But I like working with these young actors, because they’re good at what they do. If they concentrate on their craft and continue being good people, they will have a good future waiting for them,” he pointed out. Christine echoed Direk Joel’s sentiments, adding that the best investment she can make now is to hone her skills as an actress.

“‘Di lang dapat pagpapakita ng katawan. Doing sexy projects isn’t something you can do forever. I want to continue learning,” she said. “And if I’m able to do my job confidently, then I think I will have a bigger chance of staying in the biz.”