The Philippines meets the Swiss Alps in Enjoy Your Stay, the third feature from Swiss director Dominik Locher (Tempo Girl, Goliath), based on a script that he co-wrote with Honeylyn Joy Alipio. The cinematic exploration of social issues, power imbalances, and moral dilemmas in the world of undocumented Filipino cleaners in a luxury ski resort world premieres on Feb. 14 in the Panorama program of the Berlin International Film Festival.
Mercedes Cabral (Transit), Alexis Manenti (Les Misérables), Anna Luna, and Hasmine Killip star in the movie produced by Close Up Films and co-produced by JBA Production. Be For Films is handling world sales.
Enjoy Your Stay tells the story of Luz, who is from the Philippines and has been working as a cleaner in Switzerland without papers for several years. “At the start of winter, she is sent along with her friend Aileen and other Filipina women to the luxury ski resort of Verbier. There, she scrubs holiday chalets for Thibault, the manager of a cleaning company,” notes a synopsis for the movie. “Trapped between the risk of being discovered and deported by the police, and Thibault, who exploits their precarious situation, the women live in the shadows. Just before New Year’s Eve, Luz’s life is shaken by a Filipino reality TV show. Her ex-husband parades their six-year-old daughter, Sofia, in front of the cameras and demands full custody. To avoid losing her child after years abroad, Luz promises live on television to return home for Sofia’s birthday in February.”
The problem: she does not have enough money to pay off her debts and secure her daughter’s future. Remember those moral dilemmas? This is where they come in: “Under enormous time pressure, Luz has no choice but to earn more, and quickly, even if that means betraying her community and crossing her own moral boundaries.”
THR can premiere two exclusive clips from Enjoy Your Stay today. The first teaser features cash, a passport, a new recruit and a mention of Luz’s debt.
The second clip introduces Thibault, more workers from the Philippines, and more money issues. Don’t bank on anything, but watch clip 2 from Enjoy Your Stay below.
