Almodóvar asks that the “great tragedies” occur in fiction and real life pass “in peace”

This Thursday, Pedro Almodóvar collected the Donostia Award for his career in cinema and has asked that the “great tragedies” belong to fiction and that real life “happens in peace and in a fair and entertaining way.”

“Let us do everything possible so that the great tragedies, the daily pain, the misunderstanding, the lies, the lack of empathy, the social injustice, the hatred, everything negative imaginable, let us make them belong to fiction and that real life happens in a in a fair manner, in peace and very entertaining,” he stated at the Donostia Award gala, which continued with the screening of his new film, ‘The Room Next Door’.

When Almodóvar, who was wearing a light blue suit, came out on stage, the audience stood up to applaud him for a few minutes. When collecting the award, presented by actress Tilda Swinton, she agreed on behalf of her team at her production company El Deseo and also actresses such as Penélope Cruz, Rossy de Palma, Carmen Machi or actors such as Antonio Banderas, Javier Bardem or Juan Diego, inter alia. “I have been fortunate to work with extremely talented actors and actresses and I am immensely grateful to them,” he said.

Almodóvar began his speech by thanking the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, for his assistance and his “support” for culture, and had some words of affection towards cinema, which since he was a child showed him a reality that seemed more real to him than he thought. who lived in his town. “I preferred to live in that reality,” he stressed.

Although he did not have patience, as he himself has pointed out, he knew how to wait for his opportunity and has related that his arrival in Madrid in 1970 had a purpose stronger than his own will. “I spent twelve years working at Telefónica until in 1981 I asked for my last unpaid leave to film ‘Labyrinth of Passions’ and I never returned,” he narrated.

“What I want to tell here is my passion for cinema. A passion that has given direction to my life and that has probably saved me from many dangers. Cinema has given me everything, much more than I could imagine” , he stated.

The director has assured that he cannot conceive his life without cinema, so when his ideas or mind fail him, he has promised to continue making films “even if they are bad films.” “The alternative is a vacuum,” he indicated.

Furthermore, he has apologized to anyone who may have felt offended, but has added that he has not known how to do otherwise, although he has not “tried.” Regarding his films, he has stated that if they are distinguished for anything, it is for the “freedom” enjoyed by his characters, something that, as he has stated, “is a reflection of his own freedom.” ”

“Life, both in fiction and in reality, is complex and involves a multitude of dangers. But without freedom, life is not worth living,” he commented.

For her part, Tilda Swinton has described Almodóvar as “one of the best directors” and has praised him for his “great” contribution to the culture of “world” cinema and has assured that his filmography “is good for the world” and has captivated, entertained, excited and accompanied the industry.

“It is a great honor for me to consider you my companion and my friend. Tonight we congratulate you on your great contribution to world culture and for inspiring such loyal affection in us. You have planted in each of us a garden of treasures. You We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You will live forever. We are lucky human beings. You make it easier to be a human being despite everything,” he commented.

‘THE ROOM NEXT DOOR’, AGAINST HATE MESSAGES

Before finishing the gala, Almodóvar gave way to the screening of his film, ‘The Room Next Door’, a film that, as he has stated, proposes the opposite of social reality, especially hate messages. “Never like until now, hate has been able to organize anonymously with impunity,” he lamented.

Likewise, he has extolled the importance of “empathy”, a word that since arriving in San Sebastián “he has not stopped hearing.” ‘The Room Next Door’, as detailed, tells the story of the recovery of an old friendship between two friends who find themselves again in an intimate and extreme situation for each of them. “It’s a film that talks about the power of the company, of being there, as I said, when someone, I’m repeating myself here, asks us and needs it,” he added.

“It talks about life and the possibility of saying goodbye to it. This is the important message. When life offers us unbearable pain. Solidarity or love towards others in these moments of extreme need are one of the greatest qualities that we have as human beings,” he added.