Rossy De Palma Continues to Inspire Pedro Almodovar

Rossy de Palma became the muse for film director Pedro Almodovar over 20 years ago. Now Almodovar is releasing a new film called Julieta and the Spanish actor is again appearing in his film. De Palma is often referred to as ‘Dama Picasso’ which translates to ‘Picasso come to life’. The actress has very striking, angular, asymmetrical features, like a Picasso painting.

De Palma met Almodover when she was working in a bar in Madrid and he was there with his costume designer. He asked her about the sexy dress and the earrings she was wearing and, to which she explained she had made them herself. He then offered her a role in his next film. This was in 1987.

Rossy de Palma said, “I played a journalist in Law of Desire. Pedro said to the make-up artist, don’t make her up, she is going to do it herself. Same with hair and costume, he said, she is going to do her own. He wanted to capture what exactly was my look at that time.”

Almodovar cast De Palma in four more films over the following eight years. In Julieta, De Palma plays Marian, a grumpy, sinister housekeeper in dowdy clothes and hair that is greying and a stare that is penetrating. This is in great contrast to the roles she initially played, where she wore bright, vibrant sexy clothes and her hair was jet black.

“It’s true! No glamour, baby! No glamour! Ooh la la!” said De Palma.

Julieta is about a woman who has been missing for years and it explores the issue of ageing where the main character is played by both a young woman and an older woman. The older woman reflects on her life.

“At the beginning this film was supposed to be called Silencio, and it works very well this title because when it finishes, you have nothing to say. You think about it, but you don’t have any words; you have to digest it” said De Palma

Almodovar uses bold and saturated colours and explores themes of mystery, betrayal and death. In the film, a mother writes an unaddressed letter to her only daughter.

“everything is held back – the pain, the love, the tears. When we meet her, she is young, but she already has an old woman inside” said De Palma

Almodovar is known for exploring multi-dimensional female characters, and his latest film is no different

“They will ask me a thousand times about the female universe and I will say that it really isn’t anything exceptional. You are not as difficult to understand as you think, though you are sufficiently mysterious to turn yourselves into an excellent dramatic subject. We are surrounded by women — mothers, sisters and wives. Just by trying to listen a little to what is going on around you, anyone can have a female universe like mine. I am not so special.” Said Almodovar

Julieta was showing at the Sydney Film Festival and will be screening in Australia on 13th October 2016.