Pedro Almodóvar (pronounced [ˈpe.dro al.mo.ˈdo.var]) (born on September 25, 1949 in Calzada de Calatrava, the impoverished Spanish region of La Mancha Spain) is a Spanish filmmaker. Since making his first commercial film in the 1980s, he has written, directed, acted and produced nearly 30 films. His films are centred around relationships that occur around improbable circumstances and are accompanied by melodrama and high camp.
Early life and education
Pedro Almodovar was born in Calzada de Calatrava in Ciudad Real, a province of Castile-La Mancha, the administrative district of Almagro, but migrated with his family to Cáceres in Extremadura, when he was 8. As a young child (1960's) he attended a Catholic boarding school where some of his fellow students were abused by priests. He asserts that he himself wasn't abused. This became the inspiration for his for film La Mala educación (2004) (a.k.a. Bad Education).
He completed his secondary school at a school run by Salesian fathers and took his school-leaving exams and university entrance qualifications at a school run by Franciscan friars.[1][2]
At the age of sixteen, he moved to Madrid and worked in a number of jobs, including selling used items in a flea-market called El Rastro. Almodóvar wanted to go to film school, but the filmmaking schools were closed in early 70s by Franco's government. As a result he got a job in the Spanish phone company and saved his salary to buy himself a Super 8 camera.
Trivia
- Often uses symbolism and metaphorical techniques to portray circular storylines.
- His films often portrays strong female characters and transsexuals.
- Mother Francisca Caballero and brother Agustín Almodóvar often appear in cameo roles in his movies.
- He is Gay.
Filmography
| Year | Film [3] | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Volver | Best Screenplay at Cannes Film Festival |
| 2004 | La mala educación (Bad Education) |
|
| 2002 | Hable con ella (Talk to Her) |
Academy Award for Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen |
| 1999 | Todo sobre mi madre (All About My Mother) |
Foreign Academy Awards |
| 1997 | Carne trémula (Live Flesh) |
|
| 1995 | La flor de mi secreto (The Flower of My Secret) |
|
| 1993 | Kika | |
| 1991 | Tacones lejanos (High Heels) |
|
| 1990 | ¡Átame! (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!) |
|
| 1988 | Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) |
|
| 1987 | La ley del deseo (The Law of Desire) |
|
| 1986 | Matador | |
| 1985 | Tráiler para amantes de lo prohibido | |
| 1984 | ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer ésto? (What have I done to deserve this?) |
|
| 1983 | Entre tinieblas (Dark Habits) |
|
| 1982 | Laberinto de pasiones (Labyrinth of passion) |
|
| 1980 | Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón (Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mom) |
|
| 1978 | Salomé |
Notes and references
- ^ http://www.sonyclassics.com/allaboutmymother/pedrobio.html
- ^ http://www.almodovarlandia.com/almodovarlandia/biography.htm
- ^ International English title for the film (not translations) as per IMDb are mentioned in the brackets.
External links
- Pedro Almodóvar at IMDb
- Official website includes comments on many of his movies and a diary on the making of his new one, Volver
- Almodovar Bibliography (via UC Berkeley)