„The Soul Is Touched by Pantomime.” The deaf artist Jomi about the language everyone understands.

A white face and gesturing hands – that is all he needed to travel around the whole world – thanks to pantomime. Josef Michael Kreutzer is deaf, he suffered from meningitis when being a baby. Despite his disability he received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his commitment as a pantomime. The 56-year-old artist teaches others the silent art, for example in the college of Saarland, Germany, and during other cultural projects. REHACARE.de spoke with Jomi about a universal language and the power of silence.

JOMI does not need words to be
understood; © Jomi

REHACARE.de: Jomi, centuries ago pantomime has already been used as a representation form without words to draw attention to religious, political and social mismanagement. You take up these subjects in your performances, too.
Jomi: With my art I want to explain the meaning of life the way I see it. With pantomime I interpret important subjects of our time by lyric, parody and social criticism.

REHACARE.de: Why exactly with pantomime?
Jomi: The soul is touched by pantomime. The feelings and associations caused by pantomime should inspire the spectators to reflection since it is in their hearts that the interpretations originate which are important for their life. Pantomime is only the translator or the engine for an internal process.

REHACARE.de: Sign language and pantomime do not need words. Are these forms of expression similar?
Jomi: They are very different. Sign language is the mother tongue of the deaf. It is used for communication and as a medium for learning at school and communicating in public. Sign language is a language only with hands and facial expression. It consists of many artificial gestures and is supposed to make lip-reading easier for the deaf. However, pantomime is an artistic language with the whole body. It is to build up illusions and to show feelings. Pantomime is understood everywhere and by everybody – it is a universal language.

REHACARE.de: As Jomi you colour your face white - like many pantomimes.
Jomi: For me the white face is very important because it emphasises facial expressions. Contrasts and even small mimic nuances are thereby emphasised and offer a big range of expressions. The white face also requires an extremely exact presentation, though.

REHACARE.de: How did you become Jomi?
Jomi: A dancing instructor observed me when I was a deaf pupil in Hamburg in Germany. She recognised my talent and invited me to a dance school. There I also got private lessons for movement theatre, play and more. One day, the dancing instructor invited me to a theatre where the famous pantomime Marcel Marceau from Paris performed. Up to this time I had not known that there is pantomime in the world. Since then I love pantomime.

REHACARE.de: Since 1997 you have been a member of EUCREA Germany, the European association for creativity from and with handicapped artists. What is it about?
Jomi: EUCREA is important because it fights for the equalization of different artists with other not handicapped artists. With its educational programme and advanced training programme for disabled artists it supports social justice and encourages the artists to realise their full artistic and creative potential and to show society their view of things.

REHACARE.de: You teach pantomime. What do your pupils need to become good pantomimes?
Jomi: The art of the pantomime demands talent for observation, body consciousness and control, imaginative powers and artistic expressiveness.

REHACARE.de: Pantomime is a quiet art – nowadays everything becomes quicker, louder and more coloured. Do you think that pantomime has a future as an art form?
Jomi: Especially in our loud hectic time the power of silence is very important, because noise makes sick and many people have lost the focus on essential things in life. I am persuaded that pantomime does have a future. That is why I have already in 1988 founded the international pantomime festival in Saarland, Germany, as a forum for the pantomime. In September 2009 the international pantomime festival in Saarbrucken will take place.

REHACARE.de: A life without pantomime would be …
Jomi: ... unthinkable of for me. Pantomime is my life!

The interview was conducted by Natascha Mörs.