New York is Woody Allen’s, Berlin belongs to Wim Wenders and Fellini owns Rome – but Pedro Almodóvar has Madrid. Spain’s famous film director won Oscars, BAFTAs, Goyas and Golden Palms for melodramatic masterpieces like All About My Mother and Talk To Her, and single-handedly shot Spanish superstars Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz to Hollywood fame.
Madrid is an indispensable support act in almost all of his films. From the hysterical hookers in 80s Chueca to the slick cocktail bars of 2009: together with his city, Almodóvar has grown up to become older and wiser, but also rich and relaxed. One thing has not changed a bit: lovingly and proud, Almodóvar still portrays Madrid as one of the liveliest and most creative capitals in Europe.
This August will see the UK premiere of Almodóvar’s latest film: Broken Embraces, a tear-jerking melodrama styled like a 50s film noir, about a fêted film director who turns blind after a nocturnal car accident. Partly filmed on location in the Canary island of Lanzarote, though mainly in Madrid. A fine reason for a field trip to the most enticing spots from the works of Almodóvar. Olé: a dozen of Almo’s Madrileño locations for an exciting film tourism-filled weekend break.
1. Miracle tarts in the Rastro
At age 16, Pedro Almodóvar left petty Cáceres for mundane Madrid. It was seven years before the death of dictator Franco and the cultural revolt of the Movida Madrileña. Young Pedro filmed Super-8 shorts, a hobby that he funded by selling second-hand goods in Madrid’s famous Sunday flea market, the Rastro. To a certain extent, each of Almodóvar’s films is autobiographical, hence the Rastro landed on the silver screen: in Labyrinth of Passion we see a youthful Cecilia Roth and Antonio Banderas rummaging through the trash, trinkets and treasures, and the lesbian nuns in Dark Habits are there to sell their miracle tarts – made with the blood of Jesus Christ.
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