Spanish director,
writer and
producer Pedro Almodovar is one
of the
internationally most known
European filmmakers. He makes films about
passionate people, who are driven by
strong feelings that
make them
irrational and
interesting. His
portrayals of women and
their relations are fascinating and he let's his actresses show
complex
human beings of
flesh and blood. His movies are always about
relations
in some way or another.
Pedro was born in 1949 in Calzada de Calatrava, Spain. After an exam
at a convent school of the Franciscan friars, he moved to Madrid alone
at the age of 16. He had one thing only on his mind; to make movies and study
cinematography (ok, two things on his mind). Unfortunately, the Cinematic
Arts school was closed under the reigning dictatorship of Franco, so Almodovar
decided to find a job. This he did, at the national Spanish telephone company,
Telefónica, where he worked for 12 years as an administrative clerk. For Almodoavar,
a country boy, meeting the up-and-rising middle class was exiting and inspiring.
At night he would write about their lifes and eventually start shooting Super-8
films based on his writings.
When finally Franco fell, and democracy came to Spain, Almodovar released
his first movie Pepi, Lucy, Bom and Other Girls on the Heap in 1980. This
first movie deals with several of Almodovars favorite subjects: house-wives,
sex, drugs, kitsch and women. In the film Carmen Maura had the
leading role, and she would return several times to Almodovar's productions,
as his actors and actresses tend to do.
Pedro Almodovar has worked with many actors, but he has his favorites that
can been seen in many of his films: Cecilia Roth - 5 films, Antonio Banderas
- 5 films, Rossy de Palma - 5 films, Julieta Serrano - 5 films, Marisa
Paredes - 4 films, Chus Lampreave - 5 films, Bibi Andersen - 4 films, Kiti
Manver - 4 films. The list goes on and on with actresses that have played
Almodovar's women.
Filmography - major movies released:
- Hable con ella - Talk To Her, 2002
- Todo sobre mi madre - All About My Mother, 1999
- Carne trémula - Live Flesh, 1997
- La Flor de mi secreto - The Flower of My Secret, 1995
- Kika, 1993
- Tacones lejanos - High Heels, 1991
- ¡Átame! - Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, 1990
- Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios - Women on the Verge of a Nervous
Breakdown, 1988
- La Ley del deseo - Law of Desire, 1987
- Matador, 1986
- ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto?!! - What Have I Done to Deserve This?,
1984
- Entre tinieblas - Dark Habits, 1983
- Laberinto de pasiones - Labyrinth of Passion, 1982
- Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón, Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other
Girls on the Heap, 1980
reference: imdb, almodovarlandia.com