Pedro Almodóvar's BITTER CHRISTMAS Acquired by Sony Pictures Classics

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the North American rights to Bitter Christmas, written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar (Talk To Her, All About My Mother, Pain And Glory), and produced by Almodóvar’s Longtime Producer, Agustín Almodóvar. 

Bitter Christmas follows Elsa, an advertising director whose mother dies during a long December holiday. She works non-stop and, without realizing, doesn’t give herself time to mourn her mother’s absence. After a moment of crisis, Elsa decides to travel to the island of Lanzarote, accompanied by her friend Patricia. The story of these characters run parallel to that of a screenwriter and film director, exploring how life and fiction are inseparably linked, sometimes painfully so. 

The film, which recently wrapped production, stars Bárbara Lennie (Petra), Leonardo Sbaraglia (Pain and Glory), Aitana Sánchez-gijón (Parallel Mothers), Victoria Luengo (The Room Next Door), Patrick Criado (Riot Police), Milena Smit (Parallel Mothers), Quim Gutiérrez (darkbluealmostblack), and Rossy De Palma (Parallel Mothers).

Additional notable film creatives include Director of Photography Pau Esteve Birba (THE GOOD BOSS), Production Designer Antxon Gómez (PAIN AND GLORY), and Composer Alberto Iglesias (THE ROOM NEXT DOOR, PARALLEL MOTHERS, PAIN AND GLORY). 

This acquisition marks the latest chapter in the storied relationship between Sony Pictures Classics and Almodóvar. Most recently, the distributor released Almodóvar’s first English-language feature film, The Room Next Door, which took home the Golden Lion at last year’s Venice International Film Festival; the short film Strange Way of Life; and Oscar-nominated features Parallel Mothers and Pain and Glory.  

Photo Credit: Iglesias Más, courtesy of El Deseo