Bad Education

Colour, 35 mm
Spain, 2004, 105 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

Madrid 1980. During a period when successful director Enrique Serrano has been vainly searching for a story that would captivate him, he receives an unexpected visit. At first he doesn´t recognize his former classmate Ignacio, who has come to ask for an acting job. When Enrique shows little interest Ignacio departs, leaving with him the manuscript of a novel. After he´s gone the filmmaker becomes engrossed in the book and memories start flooding back. As boys in the sixties they met at a Jesuit seminary and while there discovered film, as well as love, sex and fear. Father Manolo, director of the institution and professor of literature, was witness to and prime mover in their awakening. He personified the duel nature of the religious establishments of the period. The story so fascinates Enrique that he goes out to seek his once intimate friend. He knows he´s found the film idea he´s been looking for, and he´s determined to shoot it. But he has no inkling what his search for Ignacio will uncover...

About the director

Pedro Almodóvar (b. Calzada de Calatrava, Mancha) began making shorts on 8mm in the 1970s. One of his first features, Labyrinth of Passion (Laberinto de pasiones, 1982) provides the key to his future work: Dark Habits (Entre Tinieblas, 1983), Matador (1985), Law of desire (La ley del deseo, 1986), and the internationally acclaimed Women on the Verge of a Mental Breakdown (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios, 1987) which was nominated for an Oscar and won the Felix European Film Award. Other films: Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (Atame!, 1989), High Heels (Tacones Lejanos, 1991), Kika (1993), The Flowers of My Secret (La flor de mi secreto, 1995 - award for best actress for Marisa Paredes at the 31st KV IFF), Carne Trémula (1997). He achieved the height of fame with his All about My Mother (Todo sobre mi madre, 1999), for which he won Best Director at Cannes, Best European Film of the year, a number of other international awards and several national Goya nominations. Talk to Her (Habla con ella, 2002) won an Oscar and many other awards.