Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and author. His films are marked by melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular culture, and complex narratives. Desire, LGBT issues, passion, family, motherhood, and identity are among Almodóvar's most prevalent subjects in his films. Acclaimed as one of the most internationally successful Spanish filmmakers, Almodóvar and his films have gained worldwide interest and developed a cult following.
Almodóvar in 2018
Pedro Almodóvar (1988)
Almodóvar at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
Almodóvar with Victoria Abril, star of High Heels, at the 1993 César Awards in Paris
La Movida Madrileña, also known as La Movida, was a countercultural movement that took place mainly in Madrid during the Spanish transition to democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. The movement coincided with economic growth in Spain and a widespread desire for the development of a post-Francoist identity. The Concierto homenaje a Canito, which took place on February 9, 1980, is traditionally considered the beginning of La Movida Madrileña.
Madrid at night in 1980, photo by Paolo Monti. The Movida people coined the now famous war-cries of the city: Madrid nunca duerme ("Madrid never sleeps"), Esta noche todo el mundo a la calle ("Tonight everybody to the street") or Madrid me mata ("Madrid kills me").
Film director Pedro Almodóvar (pictured in 1988) emerged during the Movida Madrileña.