Ang Pambansang Kiyeme

Manila, Philippines -  We find ourselves in the midst of the Gemini month, marked by the celestial twins that rule the extreme sides of every man’s persona. What better way to celebrate than with powerhouse actress Eugene Domingo, who reprises her roles as the twins Kimmy and Dora Go Dong Hae in the sequel Kimmy Dora and The Temple of Kiyeme.

For those who’ve seen the original film, Kimmy Dora: Kambal Sa Kiyeme, these characters are impossible to forget. (Hands up if the scene where Dora kept switching between being herself and pretending to be Kimmy while talking to her dad still has you in stitches.) Which begs the question, what can we look forward to this time around?

Domingo says that it’s no longer a simple comedy. “There’s comedy, there’s horror, there’s fantasy. I think the story is so much richer this time. It’s more heartwarming. Parang kumain ka, nabusog ka, tapos may dagdag pa. You have these characters, but there are also all these different situations, and many more layers.”

Does different mean that the girls have changed, too? “When we last saw them, Kimmy and Dora looked like they had made peace, but something happened at uminit nanaman yung ulo ni Kimmy.” She laughs. “Si Dora, lalo siyang nabaliw. Ewan ko kung anong nangyari sa kanya.”

Evolutionary tactics

With the three years spent between making both films, it’s clear her relationship with each of the twins has changed. When asked about who of the two is her favorite, she says, “Three years ago, I would’ve said Kimmy. I loved her confidence, I suppose because I was very reluctant then. I wasn’t very ambitious; actually, I’m still not. The way she carried herself, the way she looked, ultimong seat cover ng kotse niya Louis Vuitton. It was so fun to play her, because I didn’t know I could be like that.

“Now, I love Dora a little more. Mukha lang kulang sa ibabaw pero pag nagsalita, she really brightens your day. She’s always smiling, she’ll always say 'please' and 'thank you' and 'mwah mwah' to anybody. As you get older, you’re always thinking about being youthful. Dora is youthfulness.”

Blurring the lines

We talk briefly about independent and mainstream films, especially with the success of Marlon Rivera’s Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank, which turned her into every fashion designer’s darling. “I don’t like having those divisions between what’s indie or mainstream. All we want is for people to get back to the cinemas and watch films. It’s different from television — not that television is a lesser art. But when you watch a film, it means you’re willing to pay for tickets, sit down for two hours, and go out of your way to see it.

“Huwag na tayong magplastikan. Masarap talaga manood ng Hollywood. So what we want to do, and what we should be doing, is to make films na kapanapanood. We cannot make films just for ourselves. We need the moviegoers, so what we’re trying to do is to give them a complete experience.”

She tells me about the pains the Kimmy Dora production took to provide that experience. They traveled to Korea to shoot at a temple atop the mountains in one of the coldest winters Seoul had seen. Their camera, an Alexa, had actually stalled due to the temperature. “It wasn’t Kimmy or Dora that was the prima donna. It was Señorita Alexa. Some scenes require an actor’s cue, but this time, it was our camera that needed a moment,” she says with a laugh.

An important facebook moment

As far as moments go, Domingo’s had a lot of memorable ones herself, not excluding her interlude with Andy Lau at the Asian Film Awards last March. If you’ve seen the video, you probably thought the entire thing was orchestrated. Eugene insists that it wasn’t so.

“I was a presenter also for the awards show. I didn’t think I was going to win, so I was backstage, preparing myself. I zoned out and started thinking where I was going to eat the next day. Suddenly someone said, ‘Eugene Domingo? Come! You won!’ So I went out to the stage, dala ko pa yung bag ko kasi magre-retouch ako dapat,  and I was surprised to see Andy Lau. I thought, ‘I need a picture. Importante ‘to para sa Facebook.’”

We laugh, and then she turns wistful. “But it was that moment that I was so proud to be Pinay, to be a representative for the Philippines. I just wanted to enjoy the moment, and make sure that I brought home some kind of pasalubong for everyone who helped me get there.”

Theatrical turns

It’s a far cry from the image painted of Septic Tank’s Eugene Domingo, an ego-centric actress who floats around in chiffon capes. The woman who sits before me is not just a comedienne with great dramatic range, but she is, in every sense, an artist. She is devoted to her craft, and adores exploring various media. “Film is different, television is different, theater is different. There isn’t one that’s better than the other. Kung gusto mong maging ganap na artista, you should try doing all three, so you can understand the craft.”

Although, she says, her love for acting flourished in theater. “It’s my first love,” she pauses thoughtfully. “I think my mission is to get people to watch theater. There’s instant gratification. We go through the first act, we take a break at intermission, we’re back together for the second act. They stay with me, and we experience the journey together.”

Her upcoming project rings of theatrics. It’s called I Do Bidoo Bidoo, a comedy-musical film that uses the songs of APO Hiking Society, set to release in August. In the same month, she headlines the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA)’s stage adaptation of Lino Brocka’s film classic, Bona, in the role originally played by Nora Aunor.

It’s a big year for the actress, once severely underrated, finally coming into her own as a legend of sorts. “2012 is really exciting for me.” Domingo says. She hesitates for a bit, but with a devilish grin, bursts out saying, “Okay na, kahit walang love life.”