20/02/2008

Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar has announced that Marcos Ana, a communist poet and victim of the Francoist regime, is the inspiration behind one of his upcoming projects, to be adapted from the poet's memoirs, Decidme cómo es un árbol, published last year.

Currently 88, Ana was first arrested and convicted when he was 19 and released at the age of 42, after surviving much torture and escaping two death penalties. In prison, his work was memorised by other prisoners who, upon their release, passed them on to other companions. The poems were initially published abroad by committees of solidarity in exile.

However, principal photography on the film is not expected to take place in the next two years, as the prolific director has already scheduled two other films.

Almodóvar is currently rehearsing with Lluis Homar, Blanca Portillo and Penélope Cruz for their roles in Los abrazos rotos, shooting of which is set to start in May. Afterwards, he is expected to start production on La Piel que habito, also starring Cruz, which is the previously announced revenge story based on the Thierry Jonquet novel Mygale.