Feliz Cumpleaños to Oscar Winner Pedro Almodóvar

Pedro Almodóvar Caballero was born today, September 25, in 1949. He is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, producer and former actor. 

Almodóvar achieved international recognition for his black comedy-drama film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.  He went on to more success with the dark romantic comedy film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990), the melodrama High Heels (1991) and the romantic drama thriller Live Flesh (1997). 

His subsequent two films won an Academy Award each: All About My Mother (1999) received the award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Talk to Her (2002) earned him the award for Best Original Screenplay. 

Almodóvar followed this with the drama Volver (2006), the romantic thriller Broken Embraces (2009), the psychological thriller The Skin I Live In (2011), and the drama Julieta (2016), all of which were in competition for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. 

His films are marked by his employment of certain actors and creative personnel, complex narratives, melodrama, pop culture, popular songs, irreverent humour, strong colors, and glossy décor. Desire, passion, family, and identity are among Almodóvar's most prevalent themes.

Noted for being one of the most internationally successful Spanish filmmakers, Almodóvar and his films have gained worldwide interest and developed a cult following. In addition to his two Academy Awards, he has received four British Academy Film Awards, six European Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, nine Goya Awards and four prizes at the Cannes Film Festival.

Almodóvar is gay and has been with his partner, actor and photographer Fernando Iglesias, since 2002. Almodóvar often casts him in small roles in his films.

The clip below is the trailer for his 2013 film comedy, I'm So Excited, which he described as his "gayest film ever."