“Evocative drama in which Dela Cruz examines familial dynamics in exceptional detail.”

In a sprawling manor home in some pastoral region of the Italian countryside, three siblings gather under quite unconventional circumstances. The home is decaying and seemingly filled with endless corridors, most of which have remained unexplored – but for one of the siblings this is her new home. A fact that both excites and exhausts her brother and sister, leading to some unexpected friction between them. This is the impetus behind Where the Night Stands Still (Come la notte), in which director Liryc Dela Cruz – in his narrative feature directorial debut – tells the story of a family of siblings originally from the Philippines who find themselves spending some time in each other’s company after one of them inherits the enormous home of her employer, for whom she worked as a cleaner and housekeeper for years. Suddenly she transitions from humble immigrant to wealthy landowner, something that does not quite enthuse her siblings who have pursued similar paths in their own lives, but have yet to reap such enormous rewards. A simple and evocative drama in which Dela Cruz examines familial dynamics in exceptional detail, Where the Night Stands Still is a well-constructed, intimate depiction of a set of siblings undergoing an investigation of their own souls, leading to a simultaneously anxious and stunning character study.  

Dela Cruz lays out the foundation of Where the Night Stands Still from the first moments, but doesn’t provide us with all the context we need until a few scenes have elapsed. This forces us to use the paltry information we have been given to figure out the base of the story and what it represents. This is a film about identity and displacement, revolving around three characters who each have their own ambitions and desires and are only connected by their familial bond, which we soon discover means very little when it comes to the matter at hand. Their initial reunion is layered with a steady sense of pressure, almost as if they have been forced to spend time together in the hopes of resolving some unstated tension that none of them necessarily wants to address directly, and which eventually manifests in their personal examinations of their identity.  This isn’t a traditional immigrant story, and almost seems like a fable – the most hardworking and dedicated of the trio is also the most vulnerable to malicious actions by her vindictive siblings, who have no qualms in using her as a pawn for their own personal gain – and the fable eventually flourishes into a quietly disconcerting glimpse into the minds of people trying to find a home for themselves far from their place of origin, reconciling their present desires while plumbing the emotional depths of the past.  

Where the Night Stands Still is a conceptual film rather than one that lends itself to a detailed discussion on form, in which plot mechanics are more important than their realization. However, it is still beautifully made in terms of the visual approach – the film is shot in stunning, crisp black-and-white, and Dela Cruz relishes exploring the grandiosity of the decrepit, decaying mansion that gradually becomes a character all on its own, a living entity that is as fascinating as its residents, and with which we form quite a peculiar relationship. However, it’s the director’s approach to looking at certain themes that draws the viewer into this film, with the promise of a simple story of three siblings reuniting under unconventional circumstances being the primary allure. The film is methodically paced and requires some degree of patience – there are long stretches without any dialogue and an abundance of repetition that can feel out of place at first but ultimately panders to the idea of the director seeking out the beauty in the banality. Several minutes of wordless domestic chores or the meandering exploration of the vast mansion are rendered as utterly transfixing, especially in how this intermingles with the growing sense of tension that simmers among the three main characters, all of whom seem to be quietly anticipating the moment when their fragile, volatile relationships fall apart.   

Where the Night Stands Still is a well-crafted, intriguing film that doesn’t necessarily leap out at the viewer, but rather gradually flourishes into a quiet, effective story of family, and how blood is not necessarily thicker than water when greed and desire take control. At only 75 minutes the film is slightly too short, since there were many possible avenues of these relationships that the film could have explored. Particularly since there is a fascinating richness to how Dela Cruz constructs these characters, and the performances from Jenny Llanto Caringal, Tess Magallanes and Benjamin Vasquez Barcellano Jr. are all compelling enough for us to yearn for a more in-depth investigation into their dynamic. Yet, the decision to leave many of these elements unresolved and incomplete does leave an impression, especially since the entire purpose of this film was to make the viewers feel like unintentional voyeurs, peering into a few moments in the lives of these siblings, forcing us to make our own unique observations and interpretations of various decisions they each make. A simple, unfurnished drama about familial bonds and the human connection, Where the Night Stands Still is quite effective, examining the internal lives of these characters as they navigate the ambiguous space between the past and the present, each moment somehow bringing them physically closer while distancing them further than ever before when it comes to their more symbolic bonds.  

Image copyright: Walang Hanggan