BITTER CHRISTMAS
synopsis
Elsa is an advertising director whose mother dies during a long December holiday. She works non-stop and, without realising, doesn’t give herself time to mourn her mother’s absence. After a crisis, Elsa decides to travel to the island of Lanzarote accompanied by her friend Patricia, who also needs to get away from the city. The story of these characters run parallel to that of a screenwriter and film director, exploring how life and fiction are inseparably linked, sometimes painfully so.
| international title: | Bitter Christmas |
| original title: | Amarga Navidad |
| country: | Spain |
| sales agent: | Film Factory Entertainment |
| year: | 2026 |
| genre: | fiction |
| directed by: | Pedro Almodóvar |
| film run: | 111' |
| release date: | ES 20/03/2026, FR 20/05/2026, IT 21/05/2026 |
| screenplay: | Pedro Almodóvar |
| cast: | Bárbara Lennie, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Victoria Luengo, Patrick Criado, Milena Smit, Quim Gutiérrez, Rossy de Palma, Carmen Machi |
| cinematography by: | Pau Esteve Birba |
| film editing: | Teresa Font |
| music: | Alberto Iglesias |
| producer: | Agustín Almodóvar |
| executive producer: | Esther García |
| production: | El Deseo |
| distributor: | Warner Bros Entertainment Spain, Pathé Distribution, Warner Bros Entertainment Italy |
Photogallery 19/05/2026: Cannes 2026 - Bitter Christmas
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