Eugene Domingo: No expectations, no problem

Eugene Domingo. AP FILE PHOTO

Winning the Best Actress trophy at the eighth Asian Film Awards (AFA) would have been great, but the Philippines’ sole nominee in the annual competition wasn’t expecting anything.

“It’s all a matter of luck and the jury’s taste,” Eugene Domingo said hours before the awards night held Thursday at Macau’s glitzy House of Dancing Water Theater.

Domingo, nominated for her role in “Barber’s Tales,” lost to Chinese superstar Zhang Ziyi (“The Grandmaster”). The Chinese entry won six other awards, including Best Film and and Best Director for Wong Kar-wai.

Domingo remains optimistic that Filipino films will continue to get recognition on the global stage. “It is not far-fetched,” she said. “We just need to focus more on the technical aspects. But we are very rich in talent and creativity.”

Domingo, in a tailored black suit, was among the first on the red carpet laid along Sands Cotai Central. Later, she presented the award for Best Editor to Korean Shin Min-kyung (“Cold Eyes”) and Best Cinematographer to Philippe Le Sourd (“The Grandmaster”).

Domingo disclosed that her role in “Barber’s Tales” was a dream come true: the feisty widow of a barber during the Philippines’ martial-law years under Ferdinand Marcos. The film was shot entirely in sepia.

“Before I was offered ‘Barber’s Tales,’ I wanted to play  a female hero, like Tandang Sora, in a film that has a nationalistic thrust,” she said.

“Barber’s” came close. Domingo said her character symbolized women empowerment. “You sort of realize later on that you got exactly what you wished for,” she said.

Plus, she got to work alongside Philippine movie icons Nora Aunor (in TV5’s “Sa Ngalang ng Ina”) and Eddie Garcia (in “Barber’s Tales”). “I have been their fan for the longest time,” said Domingo.

After doing six movies last year, she would like to relax, maybe concentrate on  television, she said. “I am really enjoying ‘Celebrity Bluff,’ a GMA 7 game show.”

She wouldn’t mind traveling, either, especially if it’s to attend film festivals. “In short,” she said, “I could be dragged anywhere this year.”