Spanish director and screenwriter Pedro Almodovar attends a press conference for the film "Amarga Navidad" (Bitter Christmas) at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France on May 20, 2026. (Photo: AFP)
"As Europeans, we are also obliged to become a kind of shield against these monsters like Trump, Netanyahu, or the Russian," the director told a press conference, referring to the US, Russian and Israeli leaders.
An outspoken critic of Israel's war in Gaza, the maker of "Talk to Her" and "Volver" wore a "Free Palestine" pin on his lapel.
Almodovar's remarks echoed those of Spanish star actor Javier Bardem who slammed the "toxic masculinity" of the three leaders in an expletive-laden tirade on Sunday.
"Bitter Christmas", which has had mixed reviews in Spain, is a highly personal project focused on a film director who is out of ideas and decides to steal stories from those close to him.
Short link: