Pedro Almodóvar’s Amagra Navidad (Bitter Christmas), the first film from the Spanish master since he won the Golden Lion at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, received a warm response from its premiere in competition at Cannes. The melodrama marks the 76-year-old director’s return to his native language after making his English-language debut with the Venice-winning The Room Next Door, which featured Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton as estranged friends brought back together for an assisted suicide.
In contrast to that film’s 17-minute standing ovation, with Almodóvar running up and down the aisles, the six-and-a-half-minute standing ovation from the audience in the Grand Thêatre Lumière seemed positively staid.
The gala premiere itself was one of the starriest audiences of this festival, with Juliette Binoche sitting in the row in front of the cast and crew, ready to give Almodóvar a hug as soon as he walked in. Also walking the carpet to huge applause was 89-year-old, two-time Palme d’Or winner Ken Loach.
Representing younger generations of directors were Darren Aronofsky and Jordan Firstman, who may be the biggest star of Cannes, after A24’s $17 million purchase, following a bidding war, of his feature directorial debut, Club Kid. Model Helena Christensen turned heads as did Club Kid heartthrob Diego Calva. Dita Von Teese and James King also came to pay their respects, as did longtime Almodóvar collaborator Rossy de Palma.
