Pedro Almodóvar Advocates for Global Access to Euthanasia

Pedro Almodóvar has argued for the global availability of euthanasia, emphasizing the need for regulation and medical support. The Spanish director, 74, discussed his views at a Venice Film Festival press conference for his first feature-length English-language film, The Room Next Door.

The film stars Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore as two women who reconnect later in life. Swinton’s character faces her mortality after being diagnosed with a terminal illness.

“This movie is in favor of euthanasia,” Almodóvar said, as reported by Variety. He highlighted the determination of Swinton’s character, who chooses euthanasia over succumbing to cancer. “If I get there before, cancer will not win over me,” the character declares. With her friend’s help, she navigates the legal and moral complexities of her decision, operating under the guise of criminality.

Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021, a move Almodóvar supports wholeheartedly. “There should be the possibility to have euthanasia all over the world,” he stated. “It should be regulated and a doctor should be allowed to help his patient.”

Tilda Swinton also shared her thoughts at the conference. “I can’t say I wouldn’t act in exactly the same way” as her character, she confessed. The Oscar-winning actress from Michael Clayton spoke candidly about her acceptance of death. “I personally am not frightened of death, nor have I ever been.”

Swinton added that her outlook on death has been shaped by her life experiences. “The whole journey toward accepting death can be long for some people, but for some reason, because of certain experiences in my life, I became aware early. I know it’s coming. I feel it coming, I see it coming.”

She praised the film for its portrayal of self-determination. “One of the things that this film is a portrait of is self-determination, someone who decides absolutely to take her life and her living and her dying into her own hands.”

The Room Next Door received a 17-minute standing ovation after its premiere, the longest at this year’s Venice Film Festival so far. The film is scheduled for release in cinemas on December 20.

Almodóvar also reflected on his early career decisions, revealing why he declined to direct Brokeback Mountain nearly 20 years ago. “It was the first time that I really thought about making a movie in English because I loved that story. I knew the [book] by Annie Proulx and I loved it, and the script of Larry McMurtry was very good too. But the thing is, I was insecure with my English,” he explained.

Source: Variety