“When the night stands still”, interview with director Liryc Dela Cruz

Liryc Dela Cruz is at the 75th Berlinale with his directorial debut feature "When the night stands still - Come la notte".  The film, set in Italy is a co-production between Italy and the Philippines and it follows three Filipino siblings, all domestic workers in Italy, reunite in their older sister Lilia's inherited villa. The idea came to Dela Cruz as he proceeded to mix up all the tales he heard from friends in Italy and turn those stories into a film.  While depicting the dynamics and interactions between these three siblings, Dela Cruz’s idea was to explore, on a very deep and personal level, the silent corrosive legacy that colonialism has left on the Filipino psyche. Founder of "Il Mio filippino collective", when asked if he feels more italian or philippine, Dela Cruz admits to feel both and that, despite all its contradictions and often racism, he still feels very connected to Italy as his land.