March 29, 2024
LEARNING FROM AWARD-WINNING ACTOR — Fifteen film and theater performers from Baguio City and Benguet underwent a workshop by Miyuki Kamimura, award winning actor of the Philippine film “Tanabata’s Wife”. The workshop was designed based on the Japanese actor’s techniques and foundation as a performer in theater and film for Asian performers. — Contributed photo

Artists from Baguio and Benguet had a rare opportunity to learn some acting techniques from the award-winning actor of the film “Tanabata’s Wife”, which was written by the late Baguio writer and former Baguio Midland Courier editor Sinai Hamada and was filmed in Buguias, Benguet.
Around 15 artists of mixed genres underwent the “Actor’s Body” workshop given by Miyuki Kamimura, a Japanese actor who trained in acting and traditional Asian theater forms through the Professional Diploma in Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore from 2002 to 2005.
He is the lead actor in the 2018 film Tanabata’s Wife, which was based on the short story written by Hamada about a Japanese immigrant farmer from Benguet and a Mountain Province native.
His role in the film landed him the Best Actor for ToFarm Film Festival, Best Actor for Urduja Film Festival, and Best Performance Award for Dreamanila International Film Festival.
Film producer and Pasakalye Group of Artists member Julius Lumiqued, who arranged the activity, said Kamimura’s three-day workshop composed of three three-hour sessions held last week.
Participants ranged from select actors, directors, dancers, to documentarists, photographers, painters, cadets from the Philippine Military Academy, to some of those Kamimura worked with in Tanabata’s Wife.
Kamimura, who is also a tai chi practitioner and a theater actor, introduced the concepts of perception and control of an actor’s body, which are important in making a connection with space and fellow performers.
The workshop was designed based on Kamimura’s techniques and foundation as a theater and film performer and is aimed for Asian performers.
“The idea is how one is able to perceive mind control of one’s body, its energy, and build connection to the space and other performers. It is more of techniques in controlling the actor’s body by knowing its capabilities and limitations, which is similar with dancers who if they don’t have connection, sasabog ang performance,” said Lumiqued, who also joined the workshop.
Kamimura also guided the participants in acting out the first scene of Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest”, which served as the group’s culminating session.
Kyra Palaruan, one of the participants, said the workshop allowed her to discover the difference between a dancer and performer.
Lumiqued, himself acclaimed for his work “Dad-aan Na: Her Walks” in the Cinemarya Women’s Short Film Festival, shared a hope of having more workshops with Kamimura in the future for the continuous development of Baguio and Cordillera creatives.
Kamimura has done workshops various stage performances and facilitated physical theater workshops in several Asian countries such as Taiwan, India, and Philippines. He has been to Bohol, Ozamis, Benguet, and Baguio.
The Actor’s Body workshop was held from Nov. 21 to 23 in partnership with the Girls Scouts of the Philippines and Hoka Brew as part of Ibagiw 2022: The Baguio Creative Festival, which is now on its fifth year.
This year’s festival presented a revitalized Baguio creative city, sharing with and learning from the rest of the world as embodied in the theme “Locally creative, globally competitive.” – Hanna C. Lacsamana