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Not even two Oscars and three nominations have been enough for Hollywood to seduce Pedro Almodóvar. In his speech there is respect, the necessary doses of admiration for the environment but also an undoubted distance with the way of understanding cinema on this side of the Atlantic. His disdain for the superhero tapes that dominate the industry is evident, as he also feels for the excess of political correctness that prevails or the inability to tell simple, organic stories, such as those he has been doing for more than 40 years. Although he is revered here, Almodóvar still feels very foreign in Hollywood.

As such he will appear this Sunday at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles , aligned with the film sensitivity of the other four directors with whom he competes for best foreign film with Dolor and Gloria , perhaps his most personal film, and without any expectation of taking his third golden statuette He recognizes him directly, true to his style, surrounded by Spanish journalists at a hotel in Los Angeles. "I think there is a clear favorite. The favorite movie is Parasites ."

That takes pressure and nerves from the gala to which he says go more calm than ever. He also understands it as an advantage because of the evil that comes with being the favorite. It already happened with Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown , when everyone considered him a winner and ended up comforting his actresses in the halls of the Shrine Auditorium .

"I talked to Louis Malle , who last year had been the favorite with Au revoir les enfants and took it much worse than me when I lost. There is a kind of curse on the favorite, or so Malle said. I wish it happened on this occasion "analyze.

Almodóvar acknowledges that, if he were surprised, he would be more excited than with the previous two Oscars - for All About My Mother (1999) and Talk to her (2002) - not only for being a partially autobiographical film but for continuing to be recognized at this point in his career. "It's harder to be nominated after 40 years of making movies," he appreciates. "When you reach my age, (a prize) is very stimulating to continue working."

Hard battle against the 'Parasites' phenomenon

Complicated is facing a phenomenon like Parasites , which in the United States is sweeping the youngest public despite being a tape in Korean and with subtitles. "It gives the impression that something is changing in Hollywood and in the country in general with respect to cinema." Almodóvar believes that "there is a greater openness towards foreign films" and that "a step forward in diversity in larger categories" has been taken.

That said, it also points out that Americans have serious problems "to express melancholy. They talk about superheroes and make sequels about them. Franchise cinema is what they understand as cinema." The original tapes, which do not support a second part or come from a comic or a bestseller, are already rare in this industry.

Nor does he understand the puritanism of a part of American society regarding the controversy of considering Antonio Banderas as "an actor of color" for being Spanish, as some media pointed out when nominations were known. "That is one of those surreal things that happen in this country," he said. "It's a horrible confusion that shows the provincialism and ignorance of the person who said it. I think it's a joke, but in very bad taste."

Its side is clearly next to the authors of Corpus Christi (Poland), Honeyland (North Macedonia), the French Les Misérables and the South Korean Parasites . "The five of us have a lot in common and we don't do American cinema. We come from another place, we face this in another way. I identify a lot. I feel very accompanied and very foreign with the other nominees."

Without bad vibes towards Boog Joon-Ho or his film. "I don't feel jealous," he says, giggling among those present. "He is also a bit fat. If he were gorgeous, super sexy ... but I think we weigh more or less the same."

The difference lies, already focused on the films, on the surprise effect that the Korean has generated with his thriller and his fierce criticism of capitalism. "My film has shocked but yours has greatly surprised them, and against that surprise it is very difficult to compete." Hopefully you are not right.

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Cine 'Dolor y Gloria', shortlisted for the Oscar for best international film

Cine 'Dolor y gloria' by Almodóvar, nominated for the César awards of French cinema for best foreign film