The Possibility to Do It ‘All Over the World’ Should Exist

Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film, “The Room Next Door,” featuring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, tackles the controversial theme of euthanasia. Marking Almodóvar’s first English-language venture, the film stars Moore as Ingrid and Swinton as Martha. The two characters were close friends during their youth when they both worked at a magazine. After years apart, they reunite as Martha faces a terminal illness and chooses to end her life on her terms.

During the Venice Film Festival press conference, Almodóvar expressed his passionate stance on euthanasia and explained its importance in the film. Speaking in Spanish, he said, “This movie is in favor of euthanasia. It is something we admire about Tilda’s character; she decides that escaping cancer requires her to make a personal decision. ‘If I get there before, cancer will not win over me,’ she says. With her friend’s help, she reaches her goal, although they must act as if they were criminals.”

Almodóvar highlighted that Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021 and stressed the need for global acceptance and regulation. “There should be the possibility to have euthanasia all over the world,” he told the press, receiving applause. “It should be regulated, and a doctor should be allowed to help his patient.”

Despite the film’s focus on death, both Moore and Swinton emphasized that it also celebrates life. Moore noted, “There’s such a tremendous life force in Pedro’s movies, and that’s what we all respond to. It’s almost like, when you’re watching these movies, you can hear everybody’s heartbeat.” She elaborated on the existential themes, questioning, “What does it mean to be alive? What does it mean to be a human being? What does it mean to have a body? What does it mean to have a friend? What does it mean to have a witness?”

Swinton described the film as a “love story” between her character and Moore’s. She stated, “It’s really a love story between Ingrid and Martha. And when I say love, I mean that really essential thing, that essential friendship that is at the heart of all life, hopefully.”

“The Room Next Door” follows Almodóvar’s 2021 film “Parallel Mothers,” which also premiered at the Venice Film Festival and garnered the best actress Volpi Cup for Penelope Cruz’s performance. Almodóvar’s previous works premiered at Venice include the 1983 film “Dark Habits,” the 1988 feature “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” which won the best screenplay award, and the 2020 short film “The Human Voice” featuring Swinton. He received the festival’s lifetime achievement award in 2019.

Following its Venice premiere, “The Room Next Door” will be released in theaters on December 20th by Sony Pictures Classics.

Source: IndieWire, Variety