Almodóvar at the Venice Film Festival: “I feel like every day that passes is one day less that I can live”

He immediately began to answer in English. A rare case. Although it was a unique occasion: he was premiering his first feature film in that language. But, at the presentation of The room next door, Today, Monday, in the competition at the Venice Film Festival, Pedro Almodóvar also used Spanish. Loud and clear: “I have spoken about illnesses because I have suffered from them and some have greatly limited not my film activity but my movement. In this case I am talking about a terminal illness. And it is a film in favour of euthanasia. Spain is the fourth European country to have a law on this. It is urgent that it exists throughout the world. It is terrible to have to behave like criminals,” he said. Applause was heard.

There were also some at the screenings for journalists. And, of course, a standing ovation greeted the filmmaker and the two protagonists of the film, Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, when they entered the press room. There was talk of cinema, but not only, as is inevitable with the Spanish director. The speech focused on life, death, friendship and motherhood, central themes of the film. Of course, on the change of language: “For me it was like starting in a new genre. Like science fiction. I needed the right vehicle and I found it in the pages of the novel. [Cuál es tu tormento, de Sigrid Nunez]. I thought I would have more problems. The language was not a problem. Both of them understood exactly the tone with which I wanted to tell this story, with content, nothing melodramatic. And seeing them act together is a festival.” But Almodóvar also wanted to take advantage of the Venice platform to touch on politics, another of the issues that he is most passionate about.

“This film is the opposite of what we call in Spain ‘hate speech’. I wanted to send a message for all those unaccompanied children who struggle to reach our borders. The far right wants the government to send the navy to stop them from entering, and even turn them into invaders. It’s crazy, it’s unfair, it’s profoundly stupid,” he said. And, in the same response, he connected with another claim: “It’s a film about a woman who is dying in a world that is probably also dying. Climate change is not a joke. I don’t know how many demonstrations we need to see it. The only solution, although it may be pretentious, is for everyone to speak out against this denialism from their own place,” said the director. And he received another round of applause. The last one, in a way, was also for him. Because he wanted to celebrate the words that Moore and Swinton dedicated to him. “There is a very powerful vital force in Pedro’s films. You can feel everyone’s heart beating. “You leave with the understanding that you have seen yourself and other humans and you are more grateful for the days you have lived,” said the first. “He has always been at the center of the cultural movements and changes of these years. He has remained the teacher he has always been. His freshness and discipline inspire me. I still feel like a student,” added the second.

The film centers on two friends who reunite. Ingrid (Moore) is a bestselling nonfiction author and is signing copies of her latest book, Of sudden deaths. It was then that he found out that Martha (Swinton), whom he loved very much but had not seen for years, was in the hospital. So he went immediately. And he discovered that the former war correspondent for The New York Times The film is about to begin, and the two women are facing their final days. One is preparing to accept the farewell. The other, now that they have reunited, decides not to leave until the end. To be close, even without saying anything. Although, in passing, the film speaks of dignity, the freedom to choose how to leave, the wounds of so many large and small conflicts or the search for light in such a gloomy present. “Women from New York, from a generation I know, in the mid-eighties. It was not an analysis of American society, but I know how to treat two women from that period and I know others like them,” said Almodóvar. “We see few stories of female friendship. It is so unusual for someone to portray it in such a profound way,” said Moore. Spanish cinemas will be able to see it from October 18.

Almodóvar’s premiere already generates excitement, among Spanish and global film buffs. But his debut in another language was directly on the list of must-see works at this Mostra. A few journalists ran out of seats at the press conference. And, just like in the film, the conversation oscillated between happiness and melancholy, emotion and firmness. “It is always difficult to talk about death. I was born in a region of Spain, La Mancha, where there is a great culture about it. And I am childish, immature in my perception of death. It is everywhere. But it is something that I have not fully understood. I feel that every day that passes is one day less that I can live. On the other hand, I would like to feel that I have lived one more day,” the director reflected. Although he also acknowledged that the film helped him to better confront the final goodbye. For when it comes. Because Almodóvar said he does not feel his 74 years at all and Swinton calculated that, if anything, he is “7.4.” Although the director’s most optimistic moment came in another response: “Almudena Grandes dedicated one of her books to me, telling me: ‘Joy is the best form of resistance.’”

The wait will probably also increase the interest: the creator had been considering the linguistic leap for some time. He was offered the script for Brokeback Mountainbut it didn’t work out. When he gave up on adapting Manual for cleaning womenby Lucia Berlin, confessed: “I don’t consider myself ready to tackle such a monumental production in English.” He rehearsed in a short format, with The human voicestarring Swinton, and Strange way of life. And finally, he dared to The room next door. There were 10 weeks of filming. Now, the time has come to show it to the world. Even the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, came to the Lido for the gala screening of the film. “We could not be more proud of a director who has brought to the big screen a personal portrait of our identity, and of the changes that Spanish society has experienced in recent decades,” said the politician in Venice.

The Mostra and Almodóvar have also recently embraced each other again. And now, neither of them wants to let go. He came for the first time in 1983. And, of course, he brought astonishment and scandal, with heroin-addicted nuns or those who self-harmed. There were those who asked that Between darkness was even withdrawn from the festival programme. Fortunately, without success. It was the creator’s “international baptism”, as he himself said.

He returned in 1988, to Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown. But then, for decades, he maintained a closer connection with the Cannes Film Festival. Until, in 2019, the Lido called him to present him with the Honorary Golden Lion. The director then described it as “a casual act of poetic justice.” It does not seem by chance, however, that he has been here three other times in five years: for The human voice, in 2020, his first work in English. For Parallel mothers, with the Volpi Cup for Penelope Cruz included, in 2021. And today, M
onday. Although with the last one, he has also broken a taboo and opened up another world of possibilities. There is always interest in Almodóvar’s next project. But now another question will be added. When. What. And in what language.