Almodóvar says he mixes real lives with fiction to protect friends

Pedro Almodóvar is 77 years old. The Spanish filmmaker recently discussed his new movie, 'Bitter Christmas,' at a Manhattan hotel.

The film features a character named Raul, a writer-director whose career is fading. Raul creates a story about another filmmaker named Elsa. He borrows heavily from his own life for the script. The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Almodóvar admits he shares traits with both characters. Like Raul, he had panic attacks. Like Elsa, he has made a living directing commercials before returning to feature films. Almodóvar noted that when he writes, people in his life often recede into the background.

The director said he is careful not to lift friends' lives directly into his scripts. He calls this a moral responsibility. 'I always mix any external inspiration with fiction and change a lot of characteristics so it ends up being someone unrecognizable,' Almodóvar said. 'I never make a portrait of a person and put it in a movie. I conceal it in some way.'

He acknowledged that friends sometimes see themselves on screen anyway. 'Many people think that,' he said. 'I remember someone saying, 'You're telling my story,' and it was someone completely different.' He also noted that some people ask him to tell their specific stories.

Almodóvar explained that suffering inspires his work more than happiness does. He said pain offers a deeper portrait of people. 'If you're happy, there's no tension,' he stated. He added that he is happier when writing than when on vacation.

The director found a late solution for the film's ending. A character named Monica confronts Raul about using her life. 'That explosive encounter wasn't there from the beginning, and when it occurred to me, it completely changed the direction of the story,' Almodóvar said. He used Monica's character to question his own process. 'I'm absolutely more ambitious than ever,' he said. 'I am more clear with my material.'