At the core of Broken Embraces is a story about filmmaking, and, specifically, the devastating consequences of a badly-made film. Built around a number of interconnected sub-plots, the film uses a series of flashbacks – a device that frequently recurs elsewhere in his work – to relate the experiences of blind screenwriter Harry Caine.

A director in a former life, Caine is shown working with his married lover, played by Almodóvar muse Penelope Cruz, on a film called Girls and Suitcases, which draws heavily on his own farce Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), employing a similar plot, visual style, and even some of the original cast members.

This unique take on the idea of a film within a film is typical of Almodóvar’s innovative approach but it also discloses his unadulterated love of the medium (Notes by alice Butler.)

The IFI’s Focus on Pedro Almodóvar runs at the IFI from April 2nd to 24th. We are delighted to host a preview of Pedro Almodóvar’s new film I’m So Excited followed by a satellite Q&A with the director on April 23rd at 18.30. I’m So Excited opens at the IFI on May 3rd.