Pedro Almodóvar discusses his “Broken Embraces”
Almodóvar and Cruz meet the press for "Broken Embraces"
Reporters from the international press were able to meet the entire crew of the feature Broken Embraces. Voluble as ever, director Pedro Almodóvar was accompanied by cast members Penélope Cruz, Blanca Portillo, José Luis Gómez, Lluis Homar, Tamar Novas, and Rubén Ochandiano, as well as producer Augustin Almodóvar. Excerpts follow.
Pedro Almodóvar on how he directs actors:
“First of all, the way in which I work with the actors depends on who the actor is. I believe that someone who fails to understand the human dimension, who can’t communicate well, could never be a good director. The actors I work with allow me to touch on very intimate topics, things that may be very painful. They enable me to delve into such things, and I’m very fortunate, because all the actors with whom I work are very generous with me. Sometimes, in the case of some actors, I fill them in on the way I view the character, and the part. And, on other occasions, I say nothing. I want them to play the scene instinctively, based on intuition.”
Penélope Cruz on the Broken Embraces story:
“Everything surprised me, from the first to last lines of the script. I really think it’s one of the best scripts he’s ever written, if not the best. Undoubtedly, it is the most complex, the most daring, the most courageous. I thought, I’m really lucky that Pedro is trusting me again, giving me this character who is just wonderful, but also completely different from any character I’ve played before.”
Penélope Cruz on the complexity of her part:
“The comedy side of the film in the film, “Girls with Suitcases,” wasn’t that easy. It was more difficult than the dramatic part. The comedy part is trickier, much more precise, in Pedro’s mind. Playing the same scene twice, well once and badly the second time, is very tricky. I must say, I was a little stressed out about it. Sometimes, in the same day, I had to go from one character to another. It was all a little bit confused. It reminded me of a roller coaster. But we rehearsed and did tests for three months before we started shooting, and that was a big help.”
Pedro Almodóvar on the number of women in his films:
“The reason why there are a lot of female characters in my films is because, like most children who grew up at the end of the 1950s, I was raised by women. My mother took me everywhere with her. I was surrounded by women until I was 8 or 9. And seeing all of these women, I had the experiences I later used in my films. I lived entirely surrounded by women, and I’m talking about strong women! I don’t know how they managed, but despite the poverty after the war, they managed to feed us every day. Our country, Spain, was really marked by this generation of women. We owe our survival to them. Male characters tend to intimidate me a little. But things are changing… “
