He San Sebastian Film Festival saw the birth of Pedro AlmodovarIt was the year 1980 and it presented ‘Pepi, Lucy, Bom and other ordinary girls’. The current director of the festival, Jose Luis Rebordinoshe tells La Sexta what he remembers from that landing: “It was a real shock, remember that we were in post-war Spain and seeing Alaska in those scenes was a considerable shock.”
The Almodóvar girls and the filmmaker caused a sensation on the streets of Donostia. “I was a kid then, and I remember seeing the cast in the old Victoria Eugenia café with that totally different outfit,” says Redordinos.
Just two years later, the director from La Mancha returned and competed for the first time in the Official Section. ‘Labyrinth of Passions’ It was presented as an authentic cabaret (feathers everywhere in the poses) with a young cast headed by Cecilia Roth and Imanol Arias, cigarette in hand. “Almodóvar has been closely linked to the festival ever since, he is part of the festival family.” Film Festival“, says the festival director.
The ‘Almodóvar Night’ as the epicenter of modernity
The first tribute to him at the San Sebastian Film Festival took place in 1993. After only 13 years of experience, the so-called ‘Almodóvar Night’ had given rise to much. We saw an emotional Pedro collecting an award and saying that a cycle had come to a close because his first film (or not…) was screened in that same room. “Well, Olvido will know that she has the best memory of the whole group because she is the one who has taken the least drugs.”he said, leaving the audience stunned.
That same night he admitted to the cameras that he felt intimidated by the big movie stars who were there. “Imagine that you have Robert Mitchum right next to you. How could you not feel intimidated? I feel very humble and insignificant.” He didn’t know all that was to come, because four decades give him a lot and in his case they have consecrated him as an internationally recognized director: “It is a reference of our cinema and we love how loved and applauded it is also outside our borders at festivals like Cannes,” adds Rebordinos.
Few names have been chanted more in DonostiaEvery year, the echo of Penelope Cruz’s famous ‘Peeedrooo!’ circulates every time she steps out on the street. He is the most sought after by the flashes and has blown out the candles on the cake at the festival for several years, since his birthday is on September 25.
Almodóvar has been in charge of delivering the Donostia Award Al Pacino in 1996, Woody Allen in 2004 and Antonio Banderas in 2008, an event at which we saw him particularly excited and proud of the actor. Now it is his turn to receive it, it will be at the gala that will take place next Thursday, September 26. “The Donostia award was already his, it was just a matter of deciding which year to give it to him,” the director of the festival tells us.
The filmmaker has acknowledged in a release It is an honour to receive the award, which fills him with joy and gratitude. He also emphasises that “San Sebastian is one of the cities where cinema is celebrated with the greatest enthusiasm, it is a dream to attend a festival like this, where the cinemas are always full.” A festival in which, without a doubt, he will continue to experience moments of glory.
Source: Lasexta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
