It's clear that Pedro Almodóvar— who has helmed Oscar-winning films like All About My Mother, Talk to Her, and most recently, Cannes premiere Julieta—​has made a career out of pushing boundaries. His work has been considered controversial, courageous, and masterfully made.

That's why it might be especially beneficial to check out the list he compiled for BFI of 13 Spanish films that he says inspired him the most in his work. Check it out below!

  • Main Street (Calle Mayor): dir. J.A. Bardem, 1956
  • It Happened in Broad Daylight (El cebo): dir. Ladislao Wajda, 1958
  • The Executioner (El verdugo): dir: Luis García Berlanga, 1963
  • Aunt Tula (La tía Tula): dir: Miguel Picazo 1964
  • Strange Voyage (El extraño viaje): dir. Fernando Fernán Gómez, 1964
  • Peppermint Frappé: dir. Carlos Saura, 1967
  • Poachers (Furtivos): dir. José L Borau, 1975
  • Rapture (Arrebato): dir. Iván Zulueta, 1979
  • El sur: dir. Víctor Erice, 1983
  • Jamón, Jamón: dir. Bigas Luna, 1992
  • Thesis (Tésis): dir. Alejandro Amenábar, 1996
  • Blancanieves: dir.  Pablo Berger, 2012
  • Magical Girl: dir. Carlos Vermut, 2014

Tesis'Tesis' (1996)

Now, don't feel bad if you haven't seen any of these films. (And if you have, it was probably Tésis. Am I right?)

What you'll learn if you read what Almodóvar admires about each one of these films is that they often:

  1. Depict underrepresented cultures and communities
  2. Reflect his own personal obsessions and interests, namely subjects that relate to the carnal side of humanity
  3. Mix genres and embrace complex plots

It's certainly clear that these films helped Almodóvar explore his own divergent sensibilities and interests, as well as push him as a storyteller to be fearless about complexity when it comes to narrative.

Be sure to check out the Spanish director's full BFI article to learn more about the films he selected.

Source: BFI

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