About this project
During 2016 Maria Delgado collaborated with the BFI on a season celebrating the work of Pedro Almodóvar.
This is part of a long-term research project on the work of Spain’s most influential living director that has involved conference papers, on stage interviews, print and radio journalism, articles, education events and consultancy work. Delgado’s curatorial collaboration with the BFI involved writing copy for the BFI brochure, advising on education events and promotions, hosting public interviews with actress Rossy de Palma, director Pablo Berger and Almodóvar, chairing the opening event for the season on 1 August 2016 with participants including actress Tamsin Greig and academic and author Paul Julian Smith (pictured above), contributing the opening paper for a BFI Study Day ‘The Almodóvar Collection: Spanish Cinema, History and Memory’ (3 September) and to a special event ‘High Heels and Nervous Breakdowns: Almodóvar’s Women’ (24 September). As well as publishing a feature on Almodóvar’s 20th feature Julieta for the September 2016 edition of Sight & Sound, Maria Delgado also contributed to discussions of the director’s body of work on Women’s Hour and BBC Radio’s The Robert Elms Show.
“Maria Delgado was indispensable to the BFI’s Almodóvar project. Not only does she have a long history of working with the BFI on previous Almodovar and other Spanish cinema projects, she is a one of the English-speaking world’s greatest experts on the director and his work. From the beginning, Maria helped to shape the project, she provided some magnificent writing for our publication and was a very generous consultant on our many public discussion and education events. Her dedicated research, intimate knowledge and inspiring approach helped us draw new audiences in to see Almodóvar’s wonderful films and to learn more about them. The highlight of the project was Maria interviewing Pedro on stage about his art of his filmmaking and his core interests and concerns within cinema and beyond. This was an unmissable event and one of the highlights of the year for the BFI.”
-Helen de Witt, Head of Cinemas, British Film Institute
Image: courtesy of Pau Ros
