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May 12, 2006
A first-class Canadian
Max Fomitchev helps the WIDHH celebrate 50.
VERONIKA STEWART
Growing up in Soviet Russia, pre-collapse, Max Fomitchev, a deaf
Russian mime, faced discrimination from all angles.
There, he was not only treated as a second-class citizen because
he was deaf, but also faced further discrimination, even in the
deaf community, because of his Jewish heritage, Fomitchev told the
Independent in an e-mail interview.
"Mostly I was hiding my Jewish heritage, as my mom (Jewish)
kept saying to me that I am Russian because of my Russian father,"
Fomitchev wrote. "Also all my documents were labelled national,
Russian."
Fomitchev said this label helped him get into a good school and
avoid obstacles that would have otherwise prevented his success.
"But few of them knew who I was. I was constantly scared that
someone would point me out as a Jew, say that I didn't belong, kick
me out, or even hurt me," said Fomitchev. "I was growing
up and never felt myself as equal. I felt like a white bird among
black birds. But my mime talent and humor gave me the gift of charm
to win people over and 'forgive' my Jewish background."
Fomitchev was first intrigued by mime at 12 years old, because of
a mime he saw on television, which at that time had only three channels
and no subtitles.
"There was mime performance by A. Elizarov (a top Russian mime),"
explained Fomitchev. "It hit me so hard. [It was the] first
time in my life [that] I understood what it is to act and it was
very clear to me as a deaf person. I started to mimic his action
and [to try] out mime stuff. My mom was in awe by my skill and talent.
She put all her effort to find[ing] a mime studio where I [could]
learn this craft."
His mother sent him to the Youth Centre of Pioneer Mime Studio,
where he auditioned and was accepted as the only deaf student in
his class.
"In one year, I surpassed the skill level of all the other
hearing pupils," Fomitchev wrote. Because of his advanced skill,
his instructor at the studio suggested that he attend the adult
amateur mime theatre at Moscow State Lomonosov University, where
he was accepted, despite his young age of 13. In his audition, he
said, the judges were so impressed they called him the "gold
mime boy."
"I spent three years there," said Fomitchev. "It
was the greatest experience to learn mime techiques, plastic movement,
flexibity and strength and also martial arts, karate."
There, he said, he was not discriminated against, and performing
with the other students gave him some of his best memories. But
when he was 16, Fomitchev decided to move on and to participate
in deaf mime culture internationally.
"My Russian theatre group was invited to perform at Deaf Way
in Washington, D.C., in 1989, and this made a crucial turn in my
life and opened my eyes to a new world," Fomitchev explained.
After travelling to North America, Fomitchev said he realized he
did not belong in Russia, but instead preferred a western lifestyle.
And after visiting Canada three years later with his performance
group, he made the decision to defect.
It was during his attempt to defect at the Canadian embassy late
on a Friday afternoon that he met Susan Masters, then an interpreter
for the deaf at the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
(WIDHH). After a lengthy interpretation, involving Masters, another
interpreter, Fomitchev and his colleague, the parties were able
to come to an understanding.
"Here showed up these two charismatic guys miming, doing a
classical mime act to try to tell them that they're going to defect,"
Masters reminisced. "Everyone wanted to help. Everyone knew
that this was something quite important and different for them."
Masters said her experience translating for Fomitchev had a huge
effect on her.
"The impact that had on me was what I could have done in that
situation – to have brought another deaf person with me,"
Masters said. "And that kind of shifted me from working for
the deaf to more working with the deaf."
Since moving to Canada, Fomitchev said the transition has been easy,
although he said that he had to start back at zero as an immigrant.
"It was interesting and smooth, as I was eager to adopt a new
western freedom," Fomitchev said. The transition into being
an independent entrepreneur, however, has been difficult at times.
"I love being my own boss, feel I am my own person. But it
is not easy – taxes, paperwork, no benefits, no sick pay. It's
much harder to work for yourself. You can't do it alone. My wife
keeps me organized and I have to have an accountant, lawyer, banker,
agents, and they all cost money, but still it is great. No regrets."
Fomitchev also said that, since moving to Canada, he has been able
to connect to his Jewish heritage for the first time.
"Really it was as if I only started my life as a Jew once I
felt I could let down my guard and be who I am in Canada,"
Fomitchev said.
"Finally I was able to turn toward my heritage, not
away from it. I really had to learn from the beginning what
it is to be Jewish and found to my shock and pure happiness that
so many of my great heroes in theatre and film were Jewish."
Here for 14 years now, Fomitchev has established himself as an entrepreneur
in the community and has settled down with a family.
"Since leaving my job and working for myself as a mime and
actor, I never look back. I am independent and [am] doing what I
love," he said.
Currently touring, Fomitchev now lives in Vancouver and performs
in film, TV, festivals and theatre. He will be performing as part
of the WIDHH's 50th anniversary celebrations, at a reception on
May 26, 7 p.m., at the Vancouver Aquarium. For more information,
visit www.widhh.com.
Veronika Stewart is a freelance writer living in Vancouver.
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