Pedro Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers,” starring Penélope Cruz, will continue to make the festival rounds and play as the closing night film at the New York Film Festival.
“Parallel Mothers” is also set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival as the event’s opening night film, but its debut at NYFF will mark its North American premiere. It will screen on Oct. 8 at Alice Tully Hall before being released by Sony Pictures Classics in theaters on Dec. 24.
Almodóvar’s film joins an NYFF 59 slate that also includes opening night film “The Tragedy of Macbeth” and Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” as the centerpiece selection.
“Parallel Mothers” tells the story of two women, Janis and Ana, who meet in a hospital room where they are about to give birth. Both are single and got pregnant by accident. Janis, middle-aged, doesn’t regret it and she is exultant. Ana, an adolescent, is scared, repentant and traumatized. Janis tries to encourage her while they move like sleepwalkers along the hospital corridors. The few words they exchange in these hours will create a very close link between the two, and their lives will forever be changed.
“It is always a privilege and an honor to feel that I am part of the most significant films of the season,” Almodóvar said. “After more than 30 years, the NYFF has become my second home. It is the best reason to visit New York and to see the best films of the year.”
“Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar’s long relationship with the New York Film Festival spans more than three decades and a dozen films,” New York Film Festival director Eugene Hernandez said. “He returns this year with ‘Parallel Mothers,’ a stirring and somber exploration of secrets and hidden histories — those sometimes found in families and often buried by societies — and how those skeletons can shape the course of individual lives and entire cultures. We’re thrilled to have Pedro back at NYFF to conclude this 59th edition!”
The NYFF Main Slate selection committee, chaired by Dennis Lim, also includes Eugene Hernandez, Florence Almozini, K. Austin Collins and Rachel Rosen. This year’s festival will run from Sept. 24 through Oct. 10.
Leave a Reply