Pedro Almodóvar Makes Passionate Call for Action on Climate Change

The Room Next Door Director Emphasizes Need for International Cooperation

Pedro Almodóvar, the renowned Spanish filmmaker, made a passionate call for greater action on climate change at a press conference in Venice today. Speaking at the press conference for his Venice Competition title The Room Next Door, Almodóvar emphasized the need for international cooperation to address the environmental crisis.

In his address, Almodóvar called out the “hatred speech” of politicians in Spain and abroad, and emphasized the need for greater attention and action on climate change.

“We all have problems – in Spain [included] with immigration and although in the movie we discussed a personal case, I’d like to talk about these children who are not accompanied, not supported when they try to reach our borders,” said Almodóvar.

“The government sends the navy to stop them from entering our countries and this is crazy, so unjust. What I am suggesting is the reverse – that we should do something in the complex world we are living in, a world that is full of dangers. Climate change is not something neglectable, we have to pay greater attention.”

Almodóvar on Climate Change and Euthanasia

Almodóvar’s film, The Room Next Door, deals with the topic of euthanasia, and he also called for greater access to it worldwide. “We have a law in Spain on euthanasia [a Spanish court passed a law legalising the practice in 2021]. It should be possible to have all over the world. It should be regulated; the opinion of the doctor should suffice,” he said.

Collaboration with Cast

Almodóvar was joined at the press conference by his two lead cast members, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. Moore and Swinton praised the film’s nuanced exploration of complex themes, with Moore describing it as “a love story between Ingrid and Martha – that essential friendship that is hopefully in the heart of all love.”

FAQs

Q: What inspired your decision to make a first English-language project?
A: For me, it’s like starting a new genre, a movie in English. I needed to have the right vehicle to do it, and I found it in the middle of the pages of What Are You Going Through.

Q: What was it like working with Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton?
A: [Swinton and Moore] understood exactly the tone I wanted to tell this story – more austere, emotional but not melodramatic at all.

Q: How does the film address euthanasia?
A: We have a law in Spain on euthanasia [a Spanish court passed a law legalising the practice in 2021]. It should be possible to have all over the world. It should be regulated; the opinion of the doctor should suffice.

Q: What does the film’s title mean?
A: The film is about the room next door, the space where we are living, dying, and thinking about ourselves and our lives. It’s a metaphor for our own mortality and the danger of neglecting the present moment.

Q: Is the film’s message specifically about climate change?
A: Yes, the film is about the urgency and importance of addressing climate change. We are living in a world that is full of dangers, and it’s our responsibility to acknowledge and act on this issue.