Pedro Almodóvar’s Film with Moore and Swinton Gets 17-Minute Ovation at Venice

The new movie by acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, The Room Next Door, starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, received a remarkable 17-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

The applause for the film, Almodóvar’s first feature in the English language, has eclipsed all other ovations the festival has seen so far.

According to Variety, the next closest film to receive such a reception was Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, which had the audience clapping for 12 minutes. Other notable applause mentions include Pablo Larrain’s Maria, starring Angelina Jolie with eight minutes of clapping, and Justin Kurzel’s The Order, starring Jude Law, which earned seven minutes.

After the film ended, Almodóvar, best known for his Spanish language films such as Talk to Her and All About My Mother, descended the stairs of the Sala Grande theatre with both Swinton and Moore. He kissed them both on the cheek and raised their arms in the air.

As the 74-year-old director soaked in the praise, he reportedly extended the moment by signing autographs and taking selfies with fans. Moore and Swinton looked on and laughed before eventually making their exit.

The film sees Moore and Swinton play former friends Ingrid (Moore) and Martha (Swinton) respectively, who previously worked together on a magazine in New York City. Ingrid has since become a best-selling novelist and reconnects with Martha, now a former war correspondent dying of cervical cancer.

Exploring the topic of euthanasia, the film also stars John Turturro and Alessandro Nivola and is adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s 2020 novel What Are You Going Through.

At the movie’s press conference in Venice, Almodóvar said, “There should be the possibility to have euthanasia all over the world.” He added, “It should be regulated, and a doctor should be allowed to help his patient.”

At the same press conference, Swinton said that she “can’t say I wouldn’t act in exactly the same way” as her character.

“I personally am not frightened of death, nor have I ever been,” said the Oscar-winning Michael Clayton star. “I think 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.”

The Room Next Door is set for a UK cinema release date of 25 October.

Source: Variety, Reuters