Pedro Almodóvar’s Bitter Christmas set for UK and Ireland release this August
28 July 2026
Pedro Almodóvar’s latest feature, Bitter Christmas, will arrive in UK and Irish cinemas on 28th August, following its international premiere in Competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Written and directed by the acclaimed Spanish filmmaker, the drama unfolds across two timelines to explore the relationship between reality, fiction and artistic creation.
The story alternates between Elsa, an advertising director navigating a long December weekend in 2004, and Raúl, a screenwriter and director in 2026 whose latest script gradually reveals itself to be Elsa’s story. As Raúl turns to autofiction to overcome a prolonged creative drought, the two narratives become increasingly intertwined, drawing on the people closest to him as inspiration for his work.
Bárbara Lennie leads the cast alongside Almodóvar regulars Leonardo Sbaraglia and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, with Victoria Luengo, Patrick Criado, Milena Smit and Quim Gutiérrez completing the ensemble.
The latest original screenplay from Almodóvar, Bitter Christmas continues the filmmaker’s long-standing interest in memory, identity and storytelling. Built around the idea of autofiction, the film explores the relationship between lived experience and fiction through its dual narrative, examining the creative process at the heart of its two interconnected stories.
The editorial unit
Bitter Christmas is released nationwide on 28th August 2026.
Watch the trailer for Bitter Christmas here:
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