Todo sobre mi madre (1999)

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writer:

Pedro Almodóvar (writer)

Release Date:

16 April 1999 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Part of every woman is a mother/actress/saint/sinner. And part of every man is a woman. (English trailer)

Plot:

Young Esteban want to become a writer and also to discover the identity of his father, carefully concealed by the mother Manuela.

Plot Keywords:

Transvestite | Actress | Personal Assistant | El Salvador | Single Mother

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 47 wins & 31 nominations

Cast

Cecilia Roth	...	Manuela
Marisa Paredes	...	Huma Rojo
Candela Peña	...	Nina
Antonia San Juan	...	Agrado
Penélope Cruz	...	Hermana Rosa
Rosa Maria Sardà	...	Madre de Rosa (as Rosa María Sardá)
Fernando Fernán Gómez	...	Padre de Rosa
Toni Cantó	...	Lola
Eloy Azorín	...	Esteban
Carlos Lozano	...	Mario
Fernando Guillén	...	Doctor en 'Un tranvía llamado Deseo'
Manuel Morón	...	Doctor 1
José Luis Torrijo	...	Doctor 2
Juan José Otegui	...	Ginecólogo
Carmen Balagué
Malena Gutiérrez	...	Malena
Yael Barnatán	...	Yael (as Yael Bernatán)
Carmen Fortuny	...	Carmen
Patxi Freytez	...	Farmacéutico
Juan Márquez
Michel Ruben
Daniel Lanchas
Rosa Manaut
Carlos García Cambero		(as Carlos G. Cambero)
Agustín Almodóvar	...	Taxista
Paz Sufrategui
Lola García
Esther García
Inmaculada Subira
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cayetana Guillén Cuervo	...	Mamen (uncredited)
Fito Páez	...	Espectador (uncredited)
Lluís Pasqual	...	(uncredited)
Dolors Pozzan	...	Verónica Forqué Double (uncredited)

Directed by
Pedro Almodóvar

Writing credits
Pedro Almodóvar		(writer)

Produced by
Agustín Almodóvar	....	executive producer
Michel Ruben	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Alberto Iglesias

Cinematography by
Affonso Beato		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
José Salcedo

Casting by
Sara Bilbatúa

Art Direction by
Antxón Gómez

Set Decoration by
Federico G. Cambero		(as Federico García Cambero)
Enrique García		(settings)

Costume Design by
Bina Daigeler
José María De Cossío

Makeup Department
Jorge Hernández	....	makeup artist
Juan Pedro Hernández	....	makeup artist
Jean-Jacques Puchu	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Sergio Díaz	....	assistant production manager
Esther García	....	production manager
Xavier Guallar	....	assistant production manager
Juan de Haro	....	assistant production manager trainee
Toni Novella	....	assistant production manager
Carlos Pastor	....	assistant production manager trainee
Tino Pont	....	production manager
Borja Rodríguez Gamboa	....	assistant production manager trainee

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Álvaro de Armiñán	....	second assistant director
Ignacio Charrabe	....	second second assistant director
Susana Fernández	....	third assistant director
Covadonga R. Gamboa	....	second assistant director
Pedro Lazaga	....	co-assistant director
Luisfer Machi	....	second second assistant director (as Luis Fernando Machi)

Art Department
Luis Aferré	....	assistant set decorator
Marcos de Aguilar	....	storyboard
José Altit	....	props
Gonzalo Anso	....	props
Pedro Luis Arias	....	laborer
Jesús Arroyo	....	laborer
Tomás Corbacho	....	laborer
Viuda de Ruiz	....	false pieces artist
Raúl Fernández	....	laborer
Emilio García	....	laborer
Vázquez Hermanos	....	property master
Adelaida Huete	....	laborer
Jesús Mateos	....	property master
Ricardo Mengíbar	....	property master
Alberto Pereira	....	laborer
Juan Vicente Riuve	....	props
Javier Rodríguez	....	assistant set decorator trainee
Mari Carmen Rodríguez	....	laborer
Juan Ignacio Viñuales	....	props

Sound Department
José Antonio Bermúdez	....	sound mixer
Luis Castro	....	sound effects
Jaime Fernández-Cid Buscató	....	boom operator (as Jaime Fernández)
Diego Garrido	....	sound mixer
Miguel Rejas	....	sound
David Rodríguez	....	assistant sound editor trainee
Iván Mayoral	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Antonio Molina	....	special effects

Stunts
Antonio Lemos	....	stunt coordinator
Ismael Martínez	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Enrique Bello	....	gaffer
Fernando Beltrán	....	electrician
Rafael Castro	....	electrician
José Ramón Delgado	....	first assistant camera
Roberto de Miguel	....	second assistant camera
Álvaro Gómez	....	electrician
Ángel Gómez	....	electrician
Luis Hidalgo	....	electrician
Teresa Isasi	....	still photographer
Joaquín Manchado	....	second camera operator
Raúl Manchado	....	assistant camera trainee
Eugenio Martínez	....	electrician
José Luis Martínez	....	electrician
Carlos Miguel	....	key grip
Alberto Poveda	....	video technician
Aurelio Sánchez Herrera	....	third assistant camera

Casting Department
Macarena Pombo	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Inma Artigas	....	wardrobe
Humberto Cornejo	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Felisa Catalinas	....	negative cutter
Manolo Laguna	....	assistant editor
Rosa Ortiz	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Alfredo Anaya	....	musician
Paco Bastante	....	musician
José Luis Crespo	....	music recordist
Fernando Egozcue	....	musician
Lucio Godoy	....	music producer
Patrick Goraguer	....	musician
Alberto Iglesias	....	musician
Marc Johnson	....	musician: "Gorrión" and "Coral para mi pequeño y lejano pueblo"
Mario Klemens	....	conductor
Iñaki del Olmo	....	assistant music mixer
Enrique Pérez	....	musician
Dino Saluzzi	....	composer: songs "Gorrión" and "Coral para mi pequeño y lejano pueblo"
José Saluzzi	....	musician: "Gorrión" and "Coral para mi pequeño y lejano pueblo"
Manuel Tobar	....	musician
Patxi Urtegui	....	musician

Transportation Department
Ángel Frutos	....	driver
Juan Luis Grande	....	driver
Julián Hernández	....	driver
Miguel Ángel López	....	driver
Ángel Megino	....	transportation
Carmelo Morón	....	driver
Agustín Ruiz	....	driver
Javier Sánchez	....	driver
Bernardino Villanueva	....	driver

Other crew
Alfonso Aguirre	....	laboratory director
Emilio Ardura	....	tapestry
Yuyi Beringola	....	script supervisor
Yolanda Cáceres	....	tuning key
Sergio Díaz	....	production assistant
Adela Donamaría	....	administration staff
Lola García	....	assistant to director
Miguel Ángel García	....	production coordinator
Beatriz Gordo	....	administration staff
Alfonso Holguín	....	location manager
Carlos Machi	....	location manager
Óscar Mariné	....	title designer
Pablo Núñez	....	opticals
Pedro Paz	....	assistant to director
Jorge Pérez	....	stage manager: Barcelona
Francisco Javier Prieto	....	location manager
María Rodríguez	....	stage manager
Ana Sanz	....	administration staff
Luis Miguel Segura	....	store agent
Rosa María Serrano	....	administration staff
Paz Sufrategui	....	press attache
Paz Sufrategui	....	unit publicist
Nicolás Tapia	....	production assistant
Amaya Valero	....	administration staff
Óscar Valero	....	administrator
Miguel Ángel Vivas	....	location manager: Barcelona

Thanks
Aline	....	thanks
Elena Benarroch	....	thanks
Solán de Cabras	....	thanks
Bette Davis	....	dedicatee
María Díaz Laviada	....	thanks
Pierre Edelman	....	thanks
Cayetana Guillén Cuervo	....	thanks
Gregorio Martínez	....	thanks
Momi Mokuba	....	thanks
Nachy	....	thanks
Rodolfo Olmedo	....	thanks
Lluís Pasqual	....	thanks
Teresa Ramallal	....	thanks
Helena Rohner	....	thanks
Gena Rowlands	....	dedicatee
Romy Schneider	....	dedicatee
Mamen Segovia	....	thanks
Reni Zanundio	....	thanks

Production Companies

• El Deseo S.A. (co-production)
• Renn Productions (co-produciton)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• Vía Digital (participation)

Distributors

• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (1999) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Pathé (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Brazil (1999) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (1999) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2000) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Arthaus Filmverleih (1999) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Atalanta Filmes (1999) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Budapest Film (2000) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• EDKO Film (2000) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Gutek Film (1999) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Rosebud (1999) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (1999) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Tokyo Theaters Company (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Fox Life HD (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• GAGA (2000) (Japan) (all media)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (DVD) (VHS)
• Twin Pics (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Häagen-Dazs  thanks: Ice Cream
• John Galliano  thanks: clothes
• Molinare  post-production
• Vía Digital  collaboration

Also Known As:

All About My Mother (Europe: English title) (UK) (USA)
Tout sur ma mère (France)
Alles über meine Mutter (Germany) [de]
Allt om min mamma (Sweden) [sv]
Alt om min mor (Norway) [no]
Alt om min mor (Denmark) [da]
Annem hakkinda her sey (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Ha-Kol Odot Eema (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Kaikki äidistäni (Finland) [fi]
Mindent anyámról (Hungary) [hu]
Ola gia ti mitera mou (Greece) [el]
Tudo Sobre a Minha Mãe (Portugal) [pt]
Tutto su mia madre (Italy) [it]
Wszystko o mojej matce (Poland) [pl]

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality including strong sexual dialogue, language and some drug content.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

Spain | France

Language:

Spanish | Catalan | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Italy:T | Spain:18 | Canada:14+ (Ontario - 2006) | Iceland:12 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Québec) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:18 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

Company:

El Deseo S.A.

Trivia:

Pedro Almodóvar dedicated his movie to Bette Davis, Gena Rowlands and Romy Schneider.

Quotes:

Huma Rojo: There are people who think that children are made in a day. But it takes a long time, a very long time. That's why it's so awful to see your child's blood on the ground. A stream that flows for a minute yet costs us years. When I found my son, he was lying in the middle of the street...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Miao Miao (2008)

Soundtrack:

Coral para mi pequeño y lejano pueblo

At last, an Almodovar Masterpiece!

At last, an Almodovar Masterpiece! Now we have the final proof and can say without any doubt: Spain has a new true genius. From MUJERES AL BORDE DE UN ATAQUE DE NERVIOS, Almodovar had shown that in his mind rounded an ace, and now several years after and with an irregular filmography, brings us his perfect masterpiece: TODO SOBRE MI MADRE, a homage to all women beginning with Bette Davis, Gena Rowlands, Romy Schneider… and ending with his own mother.

Here we see not just a delicious plot, perfectly narrated, but a camera that fixes everything as if it was the last time, our last chance to watch the indescribable feminine nature in a whole panorama where tenderness and courage rule life.

A puzzle of transitions, a delicate picture of characters and, as ever, a set design that remarks each scene with a touch of simplicity and sophistication. Cecilia Roth is great, superb, unforgettable… but she's not alone: Penelope Cruz, beautiful, vulnerable as a `rose'; Marisa Paredes, an actress in her perfect role, without forget to Antonia San Juan, `La Agrado' and Mr. Fernando Fernan Gomez.

Please, don't wait until someone tells you more about a film that puts melodrama, drama, comedy and… how not: tragedy, in a eternal stream of harmony. It's a pity: cinema is more pretty than life.