Volver

Volver
Director
Pedro Almodóvar
Country
Spain
Year
2005
Genre
Fiction
Scriptwriters
Pedro Almodóvar
Cast
Penélope Cruz / Carmen Maura / Lola Dueñas / Blanca Portillo / Yohana Cobo / Chus Lampreave
Production
El Deseo
http://www.eldeseo.es

Storyline

Three generations of women survive easterly wind, fire, madness, superstition and even death through goodness, lies and an unlimited vitality. They are: Raimunda (Penélope Cruz), married to an unemployed worker, and her teenager daughter (Yohana Cobo). Sole (Lola Dueñas), her sister, who earns her living as hairdresser. And their mother (Carmen Maura), dead in a burning, with her husband. This character comes as an apparition first to her sister (Chus Lampreave) and then to Sole, even though the ones she had unsettled affairs with were Raimunda and her village neighbour, Agustina (Blanca Portillo). ‘Volver’ is not a surreal comedy, though it might seem so at times. The living and the dead live together without problems, but provoking hilarious situations and others full of deep and genuine emotion. It is a movie about the culture of death in my native region, La Mancha. My folks there live it in astonishing simplicity. The way in which the dead are still present in their lifes, the richness and humanity of their rites makes it possible for the dead to never really die. ‘Volver’ shatters all clichés of a dark Spain and shows a Spain that is as real as it is opposed. A white Spain, spontaneous, fun, fearless, fair and with solidarity.

Festivals & Academy awards and others

San Sebastián International Film Festival 2006
Made in Spain / Fipresci Grand Prix
Festival de Cannes 2006
Competition
Award for Best Screenplay / Award for Best Actress Ex-aequo

Goyas Awards 2007
Best Film / Best Director Award / Best Actress Award / Best Supporting Actress Award / Best Soundtrack Award
European Film Awards (EFA) 2006
Best Director Award / Best Actress Award / Best Cinematographer Award / Best Composer Award / People’s Choice Award Best European Film
Oscar 2007
Nominations to Best Actress (Penelope Cruz)