Hanoi (VNA) - Recalling her years of participating in the "Autumn Meeting," acting instructor Lydia Park shared with VietnamPlus the special feelings she has for talented but humble Vietnamese students.
Lydia Park - acting instructor from the Republic of Korea’s renowned Yonsei University, has taught many Vietnamese students over the past 6 years, and appreciates the young talents with an eagerness to learn. She loves her Vietnamese students as she would with her own children, considering their success a meaningful spiritual achievement in her career.
Mission to open "Pandora’s Box"
- Having participated in the "Autumn meeting" programme for many years, can you share your experiences?
Lydia Park: I participated in the ''Autumn Meeting'' for the first time in 2016. At that time, I thought this was a one-time job, but later there were so many reasons to come back. Year by year, month by month, my feelings toward Vietnam gradually become nurtured.
Lydia Park presents the certificate of completion for students of the ''Talent Nurturing'' acting class (Da Nang Asian Film Festival in collaboration with ''Autumn Meeting''). (Photo: Vietnamplus) Teaching Vietnamese students, I see their dream, desire, and enthusiasm to become a good actor, just like myself when I was young. The Vietnamese students wake me up, when I forget who I am, they remind me again of my motivations.
Passing on my experience and knowledge to them, I not only love and consider them my own children, but also see them as my spiritual children that make me proud. I don't keep any "secrets" for myself, but want to share them all with the students.
- What potential do you see in your Vietnamese students?
Lydia Park: An actor's job is to show many roles, faces and personalities. To serve in thousands of roles later in your career, you have to get exactly what you need to act. However, not everyone knows that they have those resources available.
My Vietnamese students seem to have everything available, from joy to disappointment, from happiness to sadness. These are all experiences and feelings hidden in their “Pandora's box”.
Something I think Vietnamese actors and actresses are very simple, but also very quick to take advice. Thanks to that simplicity, they get all the lessons, like a blank sheet of paper ready to write and paint on.
- The "Basic Acting" class is one of the stepping stones for students to have a foundation for future development. Please share with us your teaching methods.
Lydia Park: I got my doctorate from the Lordland University (California). In the thesis, I studied the application of acting philosophy of actress Uta Hagen. The main research subjects are Vietnamese students. And Uta Hagen was a student of the Russian screenwriter Konstantin Stanislavski.
To some extent, my teaching method for Vietnamese friends is a cross between the philosophy of Uta Hagen, Konstantin Stanislavski and my own – Lydia Park.
Lydia with a group of students (middle, top row). (Photo: Vietnamplus) Teaching Vietnamese friends, my method always changes and needs supplements to suit them. I have to try to let them know what they have to do, so that their acting reaches the pinnacle of genuineness, or to act without acting.
By scenarios, images, sounds and every other way, I have to make them understand that they have a limitless emotional resource. My job is not to be the one to "open" them to wear their emotions, but to help them exploit and open other sides of themselves.
I give them the method, instead of describing it in detail, like "give the rod, not the fish".
Vietnamese students are famous but not arrogant
- "Put it on the scale" with those from other countries which you have taught, what do you think, madam?
Ms. Lydia Park: I have been teaching for 20 years, working for many big universities in the Republic of Korea. In Vietnam, I have taught many famous people such as Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, actor Lanh Thanh, two circus actors Quoc Co-Quoc Nghiep, MC Phi Linh, MC Quang Dai. Whoever it is, they come to my classroom like blank sheets of paper with the attitude of "I'm learning for the first time," ready to accept everything new.
I see there are differences between Vietnamese and Korean friends. For many Korean practitioners who already have a bit of a reputation, they often say "it's me." But Vietnamese students are very friendly. They are already famous people, but when they go to class, they focus on their studies and work very hard.
I am grateful for them since they are always proud to be my students. They have kept in touch with me over the last eight years. For example, when Quang Dai came to RoK, he called me and invited me to a music concert. Others often "dropped their hearts," commenting on my Facebook posts. Many call me mother, and express their love and respect because I am their teacher.
Knowing that I will return to Vietnam in 2023, Lanh Thanh said that he still wants to take my class. During the first Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF), he stopped by the class to say hello and stayed to watch the class. Although Lanh Thanh did not learn much from me, he always said that he was my student wherever he went. Thanks to that, I can't help but be proud of myself (laughs).
- What advice do you have for newcomers who want to become actors?
Lydia Park: I would say that you yourself are a limitless resource. As long as you know how to use it, you will become great. The road to becoming an actor is very long, so you shouldn’t want to become an actor of the moment, and don't give up if success doesn’t come to you right away.
Always explore the hidden potential in your person so that you are happy and strong. Always practice so that you can develop, so that when the time comes, you are ready!
Impressions of Vietnam through… herbs
- Having traveled to Vietnam so many times, are you impressed with any of our typical cultural activities and dishes? Or, what has made you particularly familiar, and indispensable to the country?
Lydia Park: I really like the smell of herbs. Most Koreans don't like the strong smell of certain vegetables," but I'm the opposite.
During the first time studying in the US, I often felt tired. But once I smelled the herbs, all of a sudden, I felt like the superhero Iron Man. The smell of this vegetable makes my spirit very happy. Since then, I have looked everywhere to see what herbs are in the dishes.
It became such a part of my memory. Then when I came to Vietnam, I found out that the restaurants used this vegetable very often. It was 2016 when I was in Da Nang. As soon as I got off the airport, I smelled it. Everyone in the group knew that I like to eat herbs, so for breakfast, lunch and dinner, everyone called me a plate of herbs.
In the RoK, every time I want to eat pho, I don't go to a Korean but a Vietnamese restaurant because they give me herbs. At home, when I eat instant noodles, I also put herbs in. My husband even planted a separate pot of these herbs for me at home. Instead of pointing out a specific dish that I like, I can say I like anything with herbs.
In an instant, back in that time, the scent of this vegetable became very specific, very Vietnamese and close to me./.
