The Room Next Door (The room next door), from Pedro Almodovarstarring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swintondeals with a controversial topic: euthanasia.
Almodóvar’s first English-language film stars the two Oscar winners as Ingrid (Moore) and Martha (Swinton), who were close friends in their youth when they worked at the same magazine. After years apart, they reunite when Martha is diagnosed with a terminal illness and decides to take her own life into her own hands.
During the press conference for the film at the Venice Film Festival On Monday, the Spanish director spoke passionately about tackling the issue in the film and why he believes it should be an option for those facing the same fate.
Pedro Almodóvar’s position on euthanasia
“This film is in favor of euthanasia”“It’s something we admire about Tilda’s character, she decides that getting rid of cancer can only be achieved by making the decision she actually makes. ‘If I get there sooner, cancer won’t beat me,’ she says. And so she finds a way to achieve her goal with the help of her friend, but they have to behave as if they were criminals.”
Almodóvar’s home country of Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021, and he believes the rest of the world should follow suit.
“Euthanasia should be available all over the world”he said to applause from journalists. “It should be regulated and a doctor should be allowed to help his patient.”
Swinton added that “I can’t say I wouldn’t act exactly the same way” if she were in her character’s shoes.
“Personally, I am not afraid of death, and I never have been. I think the whole road to accepting death can be a long one for some people, but for some reason, because of certain experiences in my life, I realized it early. I know it’s coming. I feel it coming, I see it coming,” she said. “One of the things this film portrays is self-determination, someone who decides to take their life, their existence and their death into their own hands”.
Although the film is clearly about death, Moore and Swinton said it also felt like a celebration of life.
Moore said: “There is a tremendous life force in Pedro’s films, and that’s what we all respond to. It’s almost as if, when you’re watching these films, you can hear everyone’s heartbeat.”
He spoke about the existential themes of the film, saying it ponders the questions: “What does it mean to be alive? What does it mean to be a human being? What does it mean to have a body? What does it mean to have a friend? What does it mean to have a witness?”
A story about friendship
Swinton described the film as a “love story” between her character and Moore’s.
“It’s really a love story between Ingrid and Martha. And when I say love, I mean that very essential thing, that essential friendship that is at the heart of all love, I hope”.
Moore also spoke about the female friendship present in the film, which she considered “very deep.”
“We rarely see a story about friendship between women, and especially between older friends. I don’t know if there’s another filmmaker in the world who does something like this other than Pedro,” she said. “The importance that he shows us is very unusual. I was very touched that he portrayed this relationship as something so profound, because it is.”
She and Swinton also became close during filming, which contributed to the film’s authenticity.
“It was special for us too, for me and for Tilda, the day to day,” she said. “How our relationship grew, how we got to know each other, the secrets we shared, the things we talked about. And it wasn’t just about the important things, sometimes it’s about shoes, and that’s okay!”
Following its premiere in Venice, The Room Next Door will be released in theaters in December.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
