Swiss director Dominik Locher presents his third feature film Enjoy Your Stay [+lire aussi :
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interview : Dominik Locher et Honeylyn…
fiche film] at this year's Berlinale in the Panorama section. He worked with Honeylyn Joy Alipio on the screenplay of this milieu study, a drama about a young Filipino woman who works as an undocumented cleaner in the Swiss Alps. We spoke to the director and author about their research process and their inter-cultural collaboration.

Cineuropa: How did the story come to you? How did you two meet?
Dominik Locher: We met at the Busan International Film Festival, when my film Goliath [+lire aussi :
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bande-annonce
interview : Dominik Locher
fiche film] was screened there and Honeylyn also had a script at the market. At that time I wanted to tell a story about an undocumented person in Switzerland - it could have been someone working in agriculture, construction, or cleaning. I remembered her and thought: I can’t tell this story alone; I need another perspective. We liked the concept of global authorship, where different viewpoints come together. Then Honeylyn discovered an online article about Serbian cleaners in a luxury resort. We thought that it would be a great setting and started with our research. We weren't familiar with Serbian culture, though. So we decided to work from a Filipino perspective. We started exploring Filipino markets and migrant stores, where we interviewed members of the Filipino community.

Is there a Filipino community in Switzerland?
At ski resorts they told us there were no Asians - specifically no Filipinos - working there. But we thought: we only need to find one person, and that will lead us to the others. And that’s exactly what happened. Many Filipinos are based in Geneva; some have legal documentation, but many don’t. Some arrive with diplomats. During COVID, many lost their jobs and moved to other regions to find work. Yes, there are many Filipino communities, but they’re hidden. There’s even a workers union in the Valais region. Most are women. Some told us that, as a result, there are many same-sex relationships. That inspired the relationship between Luz and Aline: abroad, they seek familiarity and safety, united by the same loneliness.

Did you find your actresses within these communities in Switzerland?
We wanted a mix of professional actors and real workers. But the leads are professional actors. From the beginning we wrote with Mercedes Cabral from the Philippines and Alexis Manenti from Switzerland in mind.

How are women who leave to work abroad perceived in the Philippines?
What inspired us was the idea that they are not victims but ambitious women striving for something. For Filipinos, working abroad is structurally facilitated. Many start in Hong Kong or Singapore; others go to the Middle East. Europe is considered a destination for the most competitive workers.

You focus strongly on the women’s perspective. Did you consider including the authorities’ viewpoint?
Police told us local authorities often look the other way because resorts depend on these workers. In the film we show the police twice - they never interfere. So, the fear of arrest lives mainly in the women’s minds. They feel guilty because they’re undocumented.

Did you always plan for an open ending?
Yes. The final image was always there. The patriarch embodies the traditional family structure, while the women walking away together form a chosen family. They still trust Luz despite everything. We wanted viewers to decide what happens next.

Why set the story during the holidays between Christmas and New Year?
Because that’s when their work is most needed. And Christmas is extremely important in Filipino culture. The Christmas scene happens a month early because workers must work on the actual holiday.

Can you elaborate on the visual concept of the film and how you worked together?
Our cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie is a master. She gives actors freedom and films what she finds interesting in the moment. That instinct helped portray both Luz and the group. Our narrative perspective also reflects our cinematic backgrounds: from Filipino cinema I learned the importance of an ensemble, in which everyone matters. My European background tends to follow one protagonist. We tried to combine both: follow our main protagonist Luz, while giving space to others. We let things unfold. I stayed on set like a supervising writer - if I was relaxed, everything was fine; if I took notes, he came to ask what needed adjustment. Mostly, when acting became too explicit or dialogue revealed too much subtext. I also made sure to pay close attention to cultural details.