- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Academy honours Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar
- Date: 14th December 2012
- Summary: ++++ LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 13, 2012) (REUTERS) FILMMAKER PEDRO ALMODOVAR ARRIVING ON RED CARPET PHOTOGRAPHERS ALMODOVAR POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PEDRO ALMODOVAR, FILMMAKER, SAYING: "This is very flattering you know that the AMPAS are think about me and about this tribute, because even when I start working and now you never -- at least I mean I never think about tributes and awards but when they arrive, when they come -- they make me feel very happy because this is in any case about my work or so and my work -- is my life. So, no I am very happy." ALMODOVAR POSING WITH ACTRESS LEONOR WATLING, ACTOR JAVIER CAMARA AND COMPOSER ALBERTO IGLESIAS/ ACTRESS ROSSY DE PALMA JOINING ALMODOVAR TO THE LEFT (SOUNDBITE) (English) PEDRO ALMODOVAR, FILMMAKER, SAYING: "Not in my craziest dream. I never thought about that. You know I'm -- since I was a child I wanted to be in the cinema business I mean just telling stories. But it was very difficult for me because you know my family was not in -- I belong to a family that this is impossible to send me to the university and things like that. So I started doing Super-8 mm movies and that was for me I mean something -- I could be satisfied telling a story in that format so I never, I mean my dream was yes at least to make a 16 mm movie and that see to be a very underground filmmaker so this is like, this is incredible for me." FROM RIGHT TO LEFT: IGLESIAS, JEAN-PAUL GAULTIER, CAMARA, WATLING, ALMODOVAR, DE PALMA AND PRODUCER AGUSTIN ALMODOVAR POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PEDRO ALMODOVAR, FILMMAKER, SAYING: "But this is always a mystery. Why people connect with one movies and not to others. I was very lucky because I tried to be as much as -- personal I could and then I discovered with the time everyone, every culture, every language it can understand the stories that I'm telling so it's a, no no it's fantastic that when that thing happens but it's good not to think about them, because if that then is I mean just you have to compromise with yourself." DE PALMA, ALMODOVAR, WATLING, CAMARA AND IGLESIAS POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS PHOTOGRAPHERS DESIGNER JEAN-PAUL GAULTIER POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEAN-PAUL GAULTIER, DESIGNER, SAYING: "I think he is unique, you know like he has a sense, an energy, well he's Spanish but he truly shows. He's like a ambassador of Spain in some way, showing things you know. And what I think is like incredible is like an incredible director for actors you know. He directs them so precisely, he's very unique. He has his own world. He shows like women and men and sex and religion but with his own humoristic way, ironic way. So it's great. At the same time you have all, you have tragedy, you have drama, you have like comedy and you can enjoy. So it's fine, it's like always a surprise and a little provocative which is always good." FILM WRITER PETER MORGAN POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PETER MORGAN, FILM WRITER, SAYING: "Well, he's a national hero in Spain. He's Lionel Messi of cinema and he's you know one of a handful auteur filmmakers that really deserve that title. You know a lot of filmmakers when you hear a film by somebody, it's not really deserved. But in his case it's thoroughly deserved. He's a unique author and completely original voice you know." ACTRESSES DE PALMA AND WATLING POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROSSY DE PALMA, SPANISH ACTRESS, SAYING: "He always said that women are much more interesting than men, because they are so boring. I don't know if this is true, but it's true that women, we move on all the time. We're not like a in the corner cry like being a victim. We try to move on and keep going and survivors." BRITISH DIRECTOR SALLY POTTER POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS BRITISH DIRECTOR GURINDER CHADHA POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS SINGER AND ACTRESS GRACE JONES ARRIVING ON RED CARPET / JONES POSING WITH FELLOW ACTRESS SARAH DOUGLAS JONES AND DOUGLAS AT PHOTOCALL PHOTOGRAPHERS VARIOUS OF JONES POSING AT PHOTOCALL WIDE EXTERIOR OF CURZON CINEMA CURZON SIGN ABOVE CINEMA ENTRANCE WITH BOARD BELOW READING "TRIBUTE TO PEDRO ALMODOVAR"
- Embargoed: 29th December 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA8AHI98W5D4FPMNJJ3YDX5UL46
- Story Text: Friends and colleagues gathered in London on Thursday (December 13) evening to celebrate the work of Pedro Almodovar.
The U.S. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) was honouring the Oscar-winning Spanish director for his nearly 40-year-long career.
"This is very flattering you know that the AMPAS are think about me and about this tribute, because even when I start working and now you never -- at least I mean I never think about tributes and awards but when they arrive, when they come -- they make me feel very happy because this is in any case about my work or so and my work -- is my life. So, no I am very happy," Almodovar told Reuters Television on the red carpet at the Curzon cinema in Soho.
The 63-year-old is known as a significant director in Spain's cultural transition after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
But his career evolved from very humble beginnings.
Aged 22, Almodovar financed his very first camera through his earnings at a phone company. Back then it would have been hard for the director to imagine the level of success his cinematic work would achieve one day.
"Not in my craziest dream. I never thought about that", Almodovar said. "You know I'm -- since I was a child I wanted to be in the cinema business I mean just telling stories. But it was very difficult for me because you know my family was not in -- I belong to a family that this is impossible to send me to the university and things like that. So I started doing Super-8 mm movies and that was for me I mean something -- I could be satisfied telling a story in that format so I never, I mean my dream was yes at least to make a 16 mm movie and that see to be a very underground filmmaker so this is like, this is incredible for me."
Almodovar eventually burst onto the international scene with his 1988 Oscar-nominated film "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." He later won a best foreign language Oscar for his 1999 film "All About My Mother" and best original screenplay for 2002's "Talk to Her."
He has since become one of the most successful and high regarded Spanish filmmakers of his generation.
"I think he is unique, you know like he has a sense, an energy, well he's Spanish but he truly shows," French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier said.
"He's like a ambassador of Spain in some way, showing things you know. And what I think is like incredible is like an incredible director for actors you know. He directs them so precisely, he's very unique. He has his own world. He shows like women and men and sex and religion but with his own humoristic way, ironic way. So it's great. At the same time you have all, you have tragedy, you have drama, you have like comedy and you can enjoy. So it's fine, it's like always a surprise and a little provocative which is always good," he said.
Film writer Peter Morgan, whose screen-writing credits include "The Queen" and the recent 007 movie "Skyfall", added:
"He's a national hero in Spain. He's Lionel Messi of cinema and he's you know one of a handful auteur filmmakers that really deserve that title. You know a lot of filmmakers when you hear a film by somebody, it's not really deserved. But in his case it's thoroughly deserved. He's a unique author and completely original voice you know."
The Spanish director is known for his portrayal of human emotions and strong female characters as well as his long-standing collaboration with actress Penelope Cruz.
Spanish actress Rossy de Palma, who starred in many of Almodovar's earlier movies, most notably in the Oscar nominated "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", explains the director's fascination with women in film.
"He always said that women are much more interesting than men, because they are so boring. I don't know if this is true, but it's true that women, we move on all the time. We're not like a in the corner cry like being a victim. We try to move on and keep going and survivors," de Palma said.
Other guests at Thursday's tribute event included British director Stephen Frears ("The Queen"), Almodovar's brother Agust�, singer and actress Grace Jones as well as British filmmakers Sally Potter ("Ginger & Rosa") and Gurinder Chadha ("Bend it like Beckham").
Highlights of the evening included the screening of a short selection of sequences from Almodovar's films and a Q&A with the director.
It is the second time the American Academy hosted such an event in Europe, after last year's celebration of actress Vanessa Redgrave's career in film.
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