Derek de Vreugt / Picture Search Video

Sunday 28th February 2021 - it's dad's birthday; he would've been 78. I head out with my six-year-old daughter Hannah to the local fishmonger to grab some prawns - dad's favourite.

It's a short walk, but on the way, we make a slight detour.

Before heading out, I was curious to see if there was a local vinyl record store? After inheriting dad's old turntable, my recent obsession was 'digging for vinyl.' I search online, and to my surprise, I find one - right on Swan Street. I don't recall seeing a record store along there…

As we arrive, I am gobsmacked. 'It's THAT Video Store!'

In 1994, I worked for photographer John Gollings (Reason #1 Story) as his assistant; he had a studio in Richmond at the time, just around the corner. I used to walk past this very store during my lunch breaks.

Hannah and I enter, inside it feels like a time capsule. Wall to wall shelves stacked high with DVDs and VHS for rent, some for sale. There's a counter at the far end, covered in all manner of DVDs, videos, records and mountains of paperwork.

It's eerily quiet. So I call out ‘hello’.

A moment later, a tall, middle-aged man pops his head around the corner behind the counter and mutters. I ask, ‘do you sell vinyl?’

He glances down in front of him. I realise I've asked a stupid question - there's a stack just in front of the counter! Mesmerised by my surroundings, and lost in mid-thought, my eyes were sending conflicting messages to my brain.

He points around the corner, ‘the rest are over there,’ he replies.

I have a dig around, and I'm thrilled to find a copy of the album John Mayall Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton.

I ask the shopkeeper if he happens to have a copy of Dire Straits - On Every Street album. He ponders for a moment and responds, ‘you're the second person that's asked for that album this week, it must be good, I think I have one copy left.’

He reaches up and slides out a brand new copy off the top shelf. It must be my lucky day.

After some more digging, I take my haul to the front counter, he takes note of my discoveries. Pointing at two Miles Davis records in my pile, ‘you're lucky with those, I was just about to re-price those because I think I initially priced them too cheap.’

As we walk out of the shop, he says, ‘come again’.

We say thanks, and I say to Hannah, ‘I think my dad was looking out for me today’, I also explain that this shop is similar to her school library - but for movies.

Saturday 06th March 2021, I head back out to Picture Search with Hannah for another dig. I pick up a copy of ACDC - Back In Black and John Coltrane - Blue Train. The Man seemed to remember us. He must be the 'Owner'...

Friday 19th March 2021, I'm back again with Hannah - she has a day off from school. This time 'The Owner' seems more friendly. I feel like I've bridged the barrier a little, my instinct is somewhat verified.

He comes over and says, ‘do you think your daughter would enjoy this?’ He holds out a pink plastic DVD case - an Angelina Ballerina movie. Hannah shyly accepts her free gift and says, ‘thank you’.

On the way out, we introduce ourselves; we find out that his name is 'Derek’.

Tuesday 13th April 2021, I decided to feature Derek as one of my Reason For Being subjects.

I head back into the store alone, and this time Derek remembers me by name.

On arrival, I make small talk. I mention that I am a photographer. He's curious. I tell him that I've just commenced a new personal project. He responds well and tells me about a video documentary he'd featured in - a film about movie piracy. He seemed to open up a little, so I take the courage and ask if he'd be interested in sharing his story?

He says, ‘sure...sounds like an interesting passion project, do you need to do it right now...? I'm a bit busy, and I've got a bit of paperwork to do...’

I tell him, no, I will come back another day and touch base beforehand.

Thursday 22nd April 2021, I email Derek asking if I can come down tomorrow? I also ring the store number and leave a message.

I get a text message on my mobile later that night at 8.45pm; ‘It's great for you to come in anytime...oh, this is my mobile number, Derek, Picture Search.’

Friday 23rd April 2021, I arrive at the store at opening time; 10am. Derek answers the door and apologises for not wearing his boots, he says he hasn't had time to put them on yet...

He shows me around the store a little and takes me out back to see the 'kitchen'.

There's a filing cabinet on top of a washing machine in one corner. A fridge with a microwave with a stack of boxes on top. An electric frying pan on top of a printer - underneath, another filing cabinet. All surrounded by shelves full of DVDs and VHS tapes.

He says he hasn't had his coffee yet as he places his mug in the microwave.

As he sips his coffee, he explains that someone's dog has left its shit on the footpath, right outside his front door; he says he needs to sort it out.

I see a photo opportunity, so I head out into the street and find a good vantage point.

Derek comes out with a bucket of water, a brush and a broom. I watched as he bends his 6ft 4' frame down to his hands and knees - to scrub the pavement.

Derek retreats inside and has another sip of his coffee. He says, ‘now I can get onto that paperwork.’

He seems to have a specific spot for his paperwork; on the floor, just behind the counter. It's a narrow gap between shelves full of DVDs. He sits on a low stool, his computer on his lap, next to a pile of DVD 'returns’.

Over the next few hours, I observe and document Derek's day.

Every time he sits down (to do his paperwork), he is disrupted by another customer.

I am pleasantly surprised at the regularity of people coming through the door, returning overnight DVDs and customers interested in vinyl records.

I ask him if the movie rental business is doing ok?

He says, ‘it's not great, but the vinyl record sales have kept me going for the last five years.’

A few moments later, a customer comes through the store and buys a pile of records worth $450, Derek's having a good day, but says he needs to make '$30 per hour' to pay for his overheads.

In between doing his paperwork, I ask him about his trading hours.

He tells me that the store is open from 10am - 10pm, 7 days a week except for Christmas Day.

So I ask when does he have time to do his grocery shopping?

Derek: ‘I just head across the road to Coles during the day; I don't even bother locking up, that reminds me, I need to grab some essentials. I'll be back in a few minutes..."

He returns, clutching a bottle of red wine with a bag of toilet paper under his arm.

Derek explains that he likes to wind down with a glass of wine and a cigarette after closing.

I take note. I ask if I could come back one night for a casual chat? I offer to bring a bottle; he accepts.

Tuesday 4th May 2021, I text message Derek at midday to see if he's up for our chat later tonight?

He replies, ‘sure’.

10pm; Derek locks the front door to his store as we sit down for our chat. He offers me his ‘paperwork stool’ to sit on; he perches himself on top of a step ladder.

We open the bottle of wine.

Derek was born in 1966 in a small country town of Gisborne located in the Macedon Ranges, about 50 kilometres northwest of Melbourne. His Dutch father immigrated to Australia in 1944; he was a former soldier, a portrait photographer and an accountant. He met his Australian wife on St Kilda beach, but sadly she passed away in 1970 when Derek was only four years old. In his youth, Derek was into sports, tennis and cycling. But he feels he was more of an 'intellectual'.

‘I don't know, I was more of a dreamer, he says, ‘I was thinking about the universe and whether God exists - so I became quite religious...’

Despite his curiosity with art, history and philosophy, Derek studied astronomy, maths and physics at Melbourne University, hoping to become a secondary school teacher. But he wasn't the 'perfect student'...and says he was never good at study because; ‘when you're good at Maths, you kind of know the answer and you don't need to study.’

So he dropped out of University and went to work in a bank for five years and then at Australia Post; as a 'Postie'.

When he moved to the city for his University studies, he discovered cinema.

I ask if he was already into movies at that point?

Derek: ‘Who didn't like movies? Well, no more than anyone else, I guess...but maybe I was...?’

‘I just automatically gravitated towards the cinema to see arthouse films - things that were thought-provoking, interesting and different. But I had no interest in commercial films; I mean, my friend told me that Darth Vader was Luke's father, I had no idea.’

‘There is so much meaning or escapism in those few hours watching an arthouse film, listening to someone else's story, it takes you out of yourself. You come out of there with a different feeling, I used to collect all the (movie) flyers too.’

So I ask about Picture Search and its past history?

Derek: ‘I was a customer when I moved to Richmond in 1994 - I used to hire VHS movies from here - but I wasn't a movie fanatic. I sort of did it for my own reward. I'd wait till the films I wanted to watch went 'weekly' and hired five films for $10.’

In between jobs, around 1998, Derek ended up working in the video store once a week.

He says that the owner was more of a businessman; in it for the money and mismanaged the store. In February 2000, the owner decided he'd had enough and put up a sign to sell all his movies: 'ALL VIDEOS FOR SALE - $5 EACH’.

Derek was mortified, and his immediate reaction was, ‘What! You can't close...you can't break up the collection!’

At that point, Derek thought, ‘Well, I'll give him that price’...and offered to buy the whole collection for $35,000; 7000 movies at $5 each.

‘I could've probably got it for less, it's hard to say, but it would've been a shame if the store closed.’

He acquired the business as a 'going concern', and despite the advent of DVDs, it was still busy.

He says, ‘It paid for all these DVDs. Many people bought a house on the back of their video store, but I wasn't in it for the money, I put all the money back into the store.’

‘You can imagine before we had the internet, streaming and downloading, video stores were doing great, and they were busy right through the 'noughties'. In 2011 I spent $10,000 a month on DVD purchases, it was still good business back then, imagine if I was less obsessive about having everything for people? I've probably spent a million dollars now, but then there was a slow decline...’

Due to the growing popularity of illegal downloading a decade ago, many video stores didn't survive.

Derek says, ‘online streaming was the nail in the coffin for the “remaining ones”, most closed around 2015...so here we are...the last video rental store in Melbourne.’

So I ask how he's managed to remain open?

Derek: ‘Well, I haven't been going out. I hardly employ staff (anymore) - so I've been saving money that way. I'm buying less, especially imports, and have been more selective, and I've been getting vinyl records in - that's helped.’

He says last year during COVID, things were tough; ‘I couldn't afford to buy food, let alone replace my old boots with holes in them’; he shows me the boots.

He goes on, ‘I lost so much weight. My belt broke, so my pants fell down, but I couldn't afford a new one. One of my customers eventually gave me one.’

I surmise Derek's underlying selflessness - that it's his moral obligation to keep the store open for his customers - at the expense of his own well being...

‘Well, there you go...’ says Derek, ‘others probably had healthier human instincts, particularly if they had families as well. You can't pay the rent on DVD hires anymore.’

‘The business has improved in recent times’, he says.

So I ask if stocking vinyl has saved the video store?

Derek: ‘Yes, diversifying has undoubtedly kept the store going so I can keep paying the rent. Music was always part of my life anyway - listening and researching - it's a nice internal reward.’

‘Music can take you away - it can be fully absorbing - like movies.’

‘Books I've read; reminds me of the music I was listening to at the time. When I was a kid - I remember reading H.G. Wells -Time Machine and listening to ELO’s Time on vinyl record; it was the soundtrack to the book I was reading with similar ideas.’

I ask what gets Derek up in the morning?

Derek: ‘For me, it's more than business - I think (now) it's beyond my control - I am committed. If things went bad and I couldn't pay the rent, I'd have to find another way. It would be hard to walk away from the comprehensive collection of movies and music for people. I also enjoy the conversation with my customers when they are moved by something, and we can share those feelings.’

I say, ‘but you're sacrificing your own livelihood...’

Derek agrees and says, ‘I am going to have to take some practical step and reduce the hours in the future; find cheaper rent and get a life (back) outside of this, but I still want to keep it going. It's a service, but also a massive hobby and, partly a compulsion.’

He says his friends think he has OCD; he's come to the same conclusion...

So why does he keep going?

Derek: ‘There might just be a tiny modicum of a clever business plan...in the long run, like the tortoise and the hare. If I'm the last one standing, then this is the only place you can get them; given a choice, it makes sense, doesn't it? Imagine you had a comprehensive library, and people can't get that anywhere else. You're going to do everything you can to make them available. That's the reason to exist.’

‘There is a plan to buy everything worth having. Then I can stop buying the back catalogue and just concentrate on all the new releases and relax more and take more time off.’

But music is now Derek's other obsession. He says, ‘I haven't got everything (music-wise), so now I've got that project in tandem too.’

I ask if Picture Search is definitive (for him)?

Derek: ‘If I can keep giving people access to the movies, whether I'm here or not, that would be a private reward. I'm not looking for any credit. To know that people were still coming, finding the movies that they couldn't get any other way, and if it meant something to them- that would be great. That's what matters, and I mean that sincerely.’

‘Hopefully, I'll leave it (the collection) to ACMI or something - my family are not interested - I'd like it to exist; that would be good.’

I ask him about his all-time favourite movie?

He has two: Betty Blue and Withnail and I; both released in 1986. Before leaving, he loans me a copy of both.

12.05am; it's late, I thank Derek for his time and tell him that I should let him go to sleep. He says, ‘oh no, I've still got paperwork to do...’