Awarded production designer was ‘a story unto himself’

DANTE PEREZ (center) with fellow character actor Soliman Cruz on the set of “El Brujo,” directed by Tikoy Aguiluz (left, in cap).

Indie actor-production designer-artist Dante Perez passed away due to complications arising from “lung infection and untreated pneumonia” on May 28. He was 56.

Perez won best production/ visual design at the Gawad Urian and Young Critics’ Circle for Lav Diaz’s “Death in the Land of Encantos” in 2008.

He worked as production designer in other acclaimed Diaz films: “Melancholia” (2008), “Butterflies Have No Memories” (2009), “Century of Birthing” (2011) and “Florentina Hubaldo, CTE” (2012). He appeared as actor in these Diaz films, too—as well as in the ground-breaking 10-hour epic “Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino” (2004).

Among Perez’s last films as actor was Rico Maria Ilarde’s horror film “Pridyider” (2012). (IMDb.com lists him as part of the cast of Khavn de la Cruz’s “Misericordia: The Last Mystery of Kristo Vampiro.” He was also in the cast of Tikoy Aguiluz’s “El Brujo.”)

For Ilarde, Perez’s passing was sad news. “We were making a mainstream Regal movie, but I recommended Dante to our producer because I had seen his work in some indie films,” Ilarde recalled. “As luck would have it, the actor originally cast as JM de Guzman’s father became unavailable.”

“Pridyider” line producer Ferdy Lapuz recounted: “Dante saved our shoot. We picked him up at his house around 5:30 a.m. He never asked about talent fee.”

Ilarde described Perez as a “pleasant surprise” on the set. “He wore vintage sunglasses that made him look like a cool, bohemian artist,” Ilarde said. “That’s how I’ll remember him.”

“Dante never lost his sense of humor,” said Aguiluz.

Perez’s daughter Sidd said, amusedly: “Papa was 56, but kept insisting he was 52.” He left her a treasure trove of memories, she said. “He told lots of stories, but was a story unto himself. I didn’t always understand his friends’ crazy love for him. One said he lost a ‘soul mate’ with Papa’s passing.”

Sidd said she would cherish one piece of advice from her father the most: “He told me, ‘It’s okay to follow your heart.’”