Healing through the arts

FOR Andy Darrel Gomes, creativity began at home. His mum, who was a homemaker, would spend her free time doing arts and crafts with him when he was younger. On the other hand, his dad was a good public speaker and would sing a lot.
"They always encourage us to participate in arts related competitions," the 25-year-old reminisced.
Thanks to his parents' support, Gomes naturally engaged himself in the arts – in spite of an academically driven society. "It's actually quite odd for (my) Asian parents to cultivate creativity in their kids. But that is how my life has always been, joining drama competitions and things like that," he said.
Little did they know that a great opportunity was in store for him. "The Actors' Studio sent scouts to secondary schools to watch drama competitions, so when we won second place that year in 2004, some of us were approached and offered to perform at the Actors' Studio," recalled Gomes.
Since then, Gomes has been immersing in the theatre scene, having involved himself in many stage productions and films. Now, he has also progressed from an actor to a writer, casting director, acting coach, as well as a speech and drama coach at various schools and centres.
What's the most bizarre character you've played?
Early in my acting days, I played a lot of erratic characters that are quite violent. I even played the devil once; it was creepy. I didn't know why I was playing those characters, but it was only after that that I realised I was able to carry out those characters because, subconsciously, I was dealing with a lot of anger at that time. So unknowingly, I was healing myself through the arts.
Is there a project that has deeply moved you?
Recently, when I shot a short film that I wrote, Bubbles. I wouldn't call it autobiographical, but it's a landscape of my memories. This means that, everything from the dialogue to the incidents in the film are all pretty much from real life. That has been quite an experience; just recollecting my memories, putting them on paper, and seeing them come to life.
Could you share the biggest challenge in what you do?
I think that the biggest challenge is to continue creating. That's a problem that people face in the creative industry. But there's a saying in the industry: if you don't have money, or if you don't have a job, at least you have friends. Because it's a very interdependent industry, but that is what makes things work because I may not have enough resources or skills to create what I want to create, but another person has it, so we can work together.
What's your take on the film and theatre industry in Malaysia?
It is in a very good place now. Malaysian film-makers, especially those in the international arena, have actually received global awards, and are in turn helping up-and-coming film-makers. We believe that we are starting a second wave of young filmmakers because we have a lot of really good talents. The wave is coming soon; we're just waiting for it to sweep across. That is what I would like to see.
Your ambitions for the year ahead?
I definitely hope to continue creating, and make more films. But another aspect that I would really love to tap into is teaching. As much as I love receiving from others, I want to give back as well, and also because teaching comes naturally for me.