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In his writings about cinema, Gabbard (2001) describes how psychoanalysis and cinema originated at roughly the same time, at the turn of the twentieth century, and share a common focus on human thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. I would add the importance of making sense of narratives and his/her stories. Scruton (2012) describes the importance of myth not merely as a collection of faraway fables and beliefs but relevant to us today. He, like Gabbard, points to the dramatisation of deep and hidden truths about the human psyche, and the use of myths associated with Freud's theory of the unconscious.
The telling of myths and fables can help us understand ourselves in the here and now because they give form to our internal world. Film can be a powerful medium for this. It is no surprise, therefore, that psychoanalytic psychotherapists frequently show a strong interest in cinema—there are regular discussions of films published in the International Journal of Psychoanalysis. This volume is a welcome addition to that literature and can be enjoyed by all as the writing is not in any way obscure or theory heavy.
Few films are more open to being considered psychoanalytically than those of Pedro Almodóvar. Born in 1949, in a small town in the countryside of La Mancha, Spain, to a winemaker father and a mother who read and transcribed letters for illiterate neighbours, Almodóvar was expected to become a priest. However, he became fascinated by cinema, which he apparently described as his “real education”. He has spent his life and career in Spain, starting with experimental theatre and cinema. He was central within La Movida Madrileña (the Madrilenian Scene), a countercultural movement that developed in response to the death of Franco. At this time, he began to forge strong relationships with various actors who he has used repeatedly over the years.
This volume contains no biographical detail in the form of a separate chapter but, instead, aspects of Almodóvar's past and present