Overview
- The film opened its gala at the Grand Théâtre Lumière on Tuesday and received a prolonged standing ovation from the audience.
- A simultaneous press screening was interrupted and the Bazin auditorium evacuated for a medical emergency; festival officials said the person was conscious and the showing later resumed from the start.
- Amarga Navidad is an explicit work of autofiction with Leonardo Sbaraglia playing a director who mirrors Almodóvar, and the film’s casting includes Victoria Luengo, who appears in two Spanish films competing at Cannes this year.
- At a Cannes press conference Almodóvar publicly denounced leaders he called “monsters,” wore a ‘Free Palestine’ pin, and urged artists to speak out against censorship and political abuses.
- The film has drawn mixed early reviews at the festival, Almodóvar said he is seeking a co-writer and plans a next project with black humor, and Amarga Navidad is scheduled to open in Argentina on May 28 with an advance screening on May 27.