Almodóvar's many mothers
Childhood, mothers, desire and creation. The Spanish film icon Pedro Almodóvar puts his focus, once again, on life’s painful subjects and deconstructs the meaning of motherhood in the critically acclaimed opening film of this year's festival – »Parallel Mothers«.
Two women meet each other at the maternity ward before both giving birth. Both women are single and have become pregnant by mistake. They have no idea how this fleeting meeting will affect their future.
Just like in earlier cult films by the Spanish master, he mixes high and low »Parallel Mothers« - soap opera comedy goes hand in hand with the cold seriousness of human life. Almodóvar doesn’t focus on any shortcomings the mothers might have and handles the story with tenderness. Despair is softened with humour and the pain heals with time and love.
— »Parallel mothers« is not only about different types of motherhood but about guilt, about the silence in the historical memory of our country and also about sisterhood, about the women's ability to support each other, says the director in a greeting to the festival.
