Elsa is an advertising director who is plagued by a migraine during the Christmas season. Her boyfriend, Bonifacio, is a firefighter who moonlights as a stripper in his spare time, and her closest friend, Patricia, is trapped in a marriage that has hit a dead end.  In truth, they are all characters in a new screenplay by Raúl, a celebrated, middle-aged filmmaker. Drawing inspiration from his own life and inner circle, Raúl blurs the lines between fiction and reality, while the characters in his script begin to take ownership of their own destinies.

Named after a song by Chavela Vargas, Bitter Christmas is yet another variation on the autofiction theme so dear to Pedro Almodóvar. Echoing the spirit of works from Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! to Broken Embraces, and Talk to Her to The Room Next Door, this film-within-a-film brims with references to Almodóvar’s other films, while questioning the power of the creator.

Cannes 2026

Soundtrack Award