PAIN AND GLORY—joining Law of Desire (1987) and Bad Education (2004) to complete Pedro Almodóvar’s autobiographical trilogy—is here.

Cinema is probably the most important experience of my life. The characters in my films always go to the movies, talk about cinema, and explain themselves through films they’ve seen. In the case of PAIN AND GLORY, they also make films for a living.

My life has indirectly found its way into every picture I’ve made, but PAIN AND GLORY is the most representative of me. I have deposited in it everything that I own: my furniture, my paintings, my clothes, my intimacy, a few ghosts, my childhood memories, and my need to carry on making films as my only way of life.

It isn’t an autobiographical film as such, everything is mixed up with fiction. The character nailed by Antonio Banderas is an extension of myself. From the time I started writing the script (and remembering Federico Fellini had already made a monumental film—8 1/2—about a director going through a crisis), I considered Antonio to be my rightful Marcello Mastroianni. This movie would not have been possible without his delicate, emotional, and intense performance. He never tried to imitate me, but many people have told me that there’s a moment in which they no longer see Antonio, but myself. I believe that this is the most flattering thing that one can say about the extraordinary performance of my friend Antonio.

This film is about many things, including my love for cinema. I discovered cinema at open-air screenings during the summer in my hometown. Films were projected onto a whitewashed wall in the main square, and we boys would take a pee by both sides of the wall when we felt like urinating. That’s why the films from my early years smell of wee, of jasmine, and of a summer breeze. My wish is that the white screen never disappears from our lives. — Pedro Almodóvar

PAIN AND GLORY

Now Playing.

Arclight Hollywood

6360 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.

The Landmark

10850 West Pico, West Los Angeles.

Opens October 11.

Playhouse 7

673 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena.

Pedro Almodóvar, Dolor y gloria / Pain and Glory, photographs by Manolo Pavón, from top: Antonio Banderas; Penélope Cruz; Asier Etxeandia (left) and Banderas; Leonardo Sbaraglia (right) and Banderas; Nora Navas (right) and Banderas; César Vicente (2); Etxeandia and Banderas; Dolor y gloria poster courtesy and © El Deseo; Julieta Serrano (right) and Banderas; Almodóvar and Banderas on set; Banderas. Images courtesy and © the filmmaker, the actors, the photographer, El Deseo, and Sony Pictures Classics.