Almodóvar’s ‘Parallel Mothers’ Will Open the Venice Film Festival

BY SCOTTIE KNOLLIN

The Venice Film Festival has announced it will open the 78th Venice Film Festival with Pedro Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers”, starring Penelope Cruz. The festival begins September 1.

Shot during the COVID-19 pandemic, “Parallel Mothers” centers on three mothers (played by Cruz, Aitana Sánchez Gijón, and Milena Smit), serving as a commentary on womanhood, imperfect mothers, and fits in line with his previous hit films, “All About My Mother” and “Pain and Glory”.

After its world premiere in Venice, the film will be distributed in North America, Australia, and New Zealand by Sony Pictures Classics.

In a statement about the selection of his film for the festival, Almodóvar said, “I was born as a film director in 1983 in Venice. Thirty-eight years later, I am called to open the festival. I cannot explain the joy and the honor, and how much this means to me without falling into complacency. I am very grateful to the festival for this recognition and hope to be up to it.” The director previously received the festival’s Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2019.

In addition to Almodóvar’s highly-anticipated film, the festival announced in June that Denis Villeneuve’s big-budget sci-fi, “Dune”, starring Timothée Chalamet, will play out of competition.

The night before the official opening night, the festival will screen a new film by Andrea Segre titled “La Biennale di Venezia: il cinema al tempo del Covid,” or “The Venice Biennale: Cinema in the time of Covid”, a video diary chronicling how Venice pulled off the 2020 festival as an in-person event, one of the only during last year’s festival and awards seasons. The festival will also screen a restored copy of 1971’s “Between Miracles”, directed by and starring Nino Manfredi, in celebration of his 100th birthday.

The festival runs September 1 to 11. The full lineup will be announced July 26.