Julieta, written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, has officially been selected as Spain’s submission for the category of ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ at the 89th Academy Awards in 2017.
Scripted by from three short stories from the book Runaway (2004) by Alice Munro, the film marks Almodóvar’s 20th feature film and his return to women’s drama.
The film follows the story of the titular character, Julieta, who lives in Madrid with her daughter Antía. They both suffer in silence over the loss of Xoan, Antía’s father and Julieta’s husband. On the day she turns eighteen, Antía abandons her mother, without a word of explanation. Julieta, guilt-stricken, looks for her in every possible way, but all she discovers is how little she knows her daughter.
sumptuous and heart-breaking, Julieta studies the nature of guilt, the mystery of memory and the often unendurable power of love. It talks about a mother’s struggle to survive uncertainty. It also examines fate, guilt complexes and broken maternity.
Making its international debut earlier this year at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival where it was in competition for the Palme d’Or, Julieta has been described as Almodóvar’s most moving and entrancing work since his 2006 Oscar-nominated masterpiece Volver.
Almodóvar is an Academy darling, with two of his films having previously being awarded Oscar statuettes: All About My Mother for Best Foreign Language Film in 2000 and Talk To Her for Best Original Screenplay in 2002.
Julieta stars Emma Suárez and Adriana Urgate as older and younger versions of the film’s protagonist, Julieta, alongside Daniel Grao, Imna Cuesta, Darío Grandinetti, Michelle Jenner and long-time Almodóvar muse Rossy de Palma.
Julieta releases in South Africa at select art-house cinemas on the 4th of November 2016.
