TITLES AND HAIRSTYLES

First of all, I’d like to clarify an error that appeared in the IMDB web site about “Broken Embraces”, my next film. It is NOT my adaptation of Thierry Jonquet’s novel, “Mygale”. This adaptation does exist and it’s called “La piel que habito”. I’m thinking of filming it after “Broken Embraces”, but I still want to put the final touches to the script.
I’ve been nurturing this project for years, I’ve handled it and distilled it so much that it has become a very free adaptation of Jonquet’s novel. To be specific: “Broken Embraces” is an original script and it is not inspired by any novel. Its inspiration comes from darkness.

DARKNESS AND FICTION

For years I’ve suffered from headaches. I come from a family, on my father’s side, that is victim to that kind of suffering. Mine have different names and surnames (headaches, chronic tension headaches, sometimes I’m also attacked by the terrible Migraine. It’s strange that no one has yet made a film about Migraine, a mysterious and terrible illness, with a name that sounds like a plague of spiders).

Last year, after the exhaustive promotion of “Volver”, when at last I could devote some time to looking after myself and to writing, I was struck down for months by an attack of uninterrupted, persistent headaches and migraines.
I put myself in the hands of neurologists, I underwent various treatments, but that isn’t what I wanted to talk about. What I wanted to say is that I spent a lot of time in my bedroom, in the dark.
The headaches are accompanied by a severe photophobia (I still have it, that’s why, in photos taken on the red carpet, I often appear wearing dark glasses. It isn’t a question of glamour but of photophobia).

Isn’t it absurd that a film director, who lives surrounded by light screens and enormous spotlights and in whose work light is essential should suffer from photophobia? A tremendous paradox. But my whole life, ever since I can remember, has been a continuous chain of paradoxes.

I couldn’t read or watch DVDs or type on the computer. I could only imagine. I could think, but I didn’t want to. It was those moments of darkness that gave rise to “Broken Embraces”. At first the story had other titles: “The prisoner of O’Donnell Street”, “Double Identity”, “Sub-version”…
At that time I was living on O’Donnell Street (a prisoner). But no one should think of “Broken Embraces” as a kind of autobiography. The only thing that my life and the script of “Los abrazos rotos“ have in common is the darkness in which one of the characters lives (at one moment in the film), but his is due to other reasons. In the film there is no analgesic, no neurologist and no acupuncturist. No one has a headache. There are other problems. And a lot of fiction, a real feast of it. This is probably the most novel-like story I have written to date.

HAIRSTYLES AND TITLES

I’ve seen some photos of Penélope Cruz in Woody Allen’s film, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”, with her hair dishevelled as in “Volver”.
Before beginning the tests for my film I had already decided to avoid the “divento matta” dishevelled styles, inspired by Sophia Loren, which suit Penélope so well. After seeing the photo from “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” I was even more convinced about my decision. I want to try not to repeat hairstyles that Penélope has worn in other films. I really enjoy reinventing her, discovering the number of characters that reside within our beautiful and versatile leading lady.

Talking of the film Woody Allen shot in Barcelona, all I know about it are two or three photos of Penélope and the title. I’ve got no right to stick my nose into other people’s business, but someone should tell my adored Woody Allen that the title of his “Spanish” film doesn’t mean anything in Spanish. In my humble opinion, it isn’t a good or bad title, it’s a non-title.

But getting back to hairstyles and to my decision not to repeat those she has worn in other films, before seeing other photos of Penélope in “Elegy”, the film by Isabel Coixet, where Penny appears with a very teenage fringe, I had already decided that in some of her facets, Penélope’s character in “Broken Embraces” would have a fringe, but more in the style of Audrey Hepburn in “Sabrina” or Anita Pallenberg in “Performance” (by Nicholas Roeg). In other words, despite “Elegy”, Penélope may wear some kind of fringe…

I confess that I also have a problem with Coixet’s wonderful film, based on the novel by Philip Roth whom I admire enormously. The original novel has a beautiful, precise, excellent title: “The Dying Animal”. I don’t understand the producers’ reasons for not using it and deciding on “Elegy”, a title that is worse than the original and, in addition, will confuse more than one admirer of Philip Roth. Philip Roth’s novel “Everyman” came out in Spain with that same title, “Elegy” (I don’t understand that either). So, in Spanish there is already at least one novel by Roth with the title of a film that isn’t an adaptation of “Everyman” but of “The Dying Animal”. Even I’m confused explaining my confusion.

Getting back to hairstyles, Penélope’s character in my film lives two very different, almost opposing, lives, that naturally must be characterized, among other things, by very different hairstyles. In the first characterisation, Penélope is brunette, serious, hurt, pursued by fatality, a fighter with no luck, a fallen angel. A woman taken from a 50s thriller and transferred to the 90s. In the other facet of the character, she appears as blonde, light, pop, naïve, outrageous, exultant. For this second characterisation, we are using lots of wigs. I think that we have now found what we wanted. For the moment, here are lots of wigs and models that are transitory, and on occasions wrong, but inevitable in order to find the definitive look. It’s part of the process. An entertaining, exhausting process. The days I devote to controlling make-up, wardrobe and wigs, I leave the El Deseo factory mentally worn out.

TITLES, AGAIN

Regarding the English translation of the original title, “Los abrazos rotos”, I have seen in some publications that it has been translated as “Broken Hugs” and in others as “Broken embraces”. I don’t have a sufficient knowledge of English to decide which is correct, or if both are, but I get the impression that in my story the “abrazos” are more embraces than hugs.
My “abrazos” are not fraternal or friendly but those of a passionate lover. Like the embraces by Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet in the final photos of “Elevator to the Gallows” or like those which appear at the start of “Hiroshima, mon amour” or the definitive embrace by Jennifer Jones and Gregory Peck in “Duel in the Sun”. Embraces by lovers at the height of their passion, in my case broken, literally torn, by a third person.

Before signing off, I want to welcome the new names that make up the cast of the film: Ángela Molina will do me the infinite favor of playing Penélope’s provincial mother. It’s a brief but very intense role. I’m so delighted she accepted! Since “Live Flesh” I’ve always wanted to work with her again.
I must also welcome the great Carmen Machi. You are still in time to see her in her national tour as absolute protagonist of “La tortuga de Darwin”, by Juan Mayorga. (The play is almost a monologue. Or perhaps it’s that the overwhelming presence of Machi converts it into a monologue). If there is justice in the world of theater, all of next year’s awards should fall into the hands of Carmen, a virtuoso actress with many more registers than we are accustomed to seeing in her. Her contribution will be brief, but vital.

Penny rehearsing with the great Carmen Machi. © Pedro Almodóvar.

As will those of the pioneers Kiti Manver, Rossy de Palma and Chus Lampreave. The artistic family is coming to my aid, tackling small roles that they will know how to boost. Lola Dueñas will also appear as one of my favorite characters, a lip reader. And the young actors Tamar Novas and Rubén Ochandiano have already joined us at the table rehearsals, playing respectively the sons of Blanca Portillo and of José Luis Gómez. I don’t know if I’ve forgotten anyone.

Tamar Novas. New in the El Deseo workshops. © Pedro Almodóvar.

Rubén Ochandiano rehearsing in the office. In the background, me, accepting an Oscar. © Pedro Almodóvar.

I’ll carry on working with Tamar and Rubén, those boys have promise.
Until next time.
Pedro Almodóvar