International Art House Classics: All About My Mother (1999)

Among the most perfect creations in the Almodóvar canon, All About My Mother conjures a rich, kaleidoscopic universe of unforgettable women. Brimming with references to classic melodramas, including All About Eve, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Cassavetes’ Opening Night, it follows the sojourn of nurse Manuela (Cecilia Roth) who, following the tragic death of her teenage son, travels from Madrid to Barcelona, where she joins a community of dispossessed women, including a troubled actress (Marisa Paredes), an outspoken prostitute (Antonia San Juan), and a pregnant, HIV-positive nun (Penélope Cruz). Dedicated in part “to all women who act… to all the people who want to be mothers,” this freewheeling fantasia is a generous, openhearted tribute to female friendship and resilience.

Directed by Pedro Almodóvar

1999 | Spain | Spanish language with English subtitles | DCP