25/03/2003

Pedro Almodovar joined the ranks of this year’s leading Oscar winners when he won the prestigious Best Original Screenplay statuette for his Speak to Her [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. The Academy could not have signalled its esteem for the eclectic Iberian more clearly since this award traditionally goes to American, or at least English-language films. Almodovar replicated by dedicating the Oscar to “all the people that are raising their voices in favor of peace, respect of human rights, democracy and international legality“. While this is undoubtedly the most important award won by Speak To Her, it is by no means the only one and joins a veritable treasure trove of international and domestic prizes won by this remarkable film since its Spanish and European release in April 2002.

Pedro Almodovar scored two BAFTAs for best foreign language film and original screenplay; he won the 2002 Los Angeles Film Critics’ Award (LAFCA) for best director. Last December in Rome, Speak To Her took home three EFAs (European Film Awards) for best film, director and screenwriter. Almodovar got the Golden Globe in L.A. for best foreign film of the year, a feat he subsequently repeated at France’s Césars, the Czech Republic’s Czech Lions and Russia’s Vellos.

The star of this film, Spanish actor Javier Camàra who plays Benigno, won the Audience Award at the EFAs and a best actor Goya.
And to think that Speak To Her is nowhere near the end of its theatrical life cycle: having broken domestic box office records and taken Euros6.898m from 1,278m Spanish filmgoers, the movie scored a reported Euros5.6m in Italy, Euros8.371 in France, Euros2.329 in Germany, Euros1.274 in the UK and $7.6m in the United States.
The Oscar victory will undoubtedly propel this singular film to new heights as Pedro Almodovar readies himself for his next project: La Mala Educacion, scheduled for May.

(Translated from Italian)