Director Pedro Almodovar declares ‘The U.S. is not a democracy right now’ at Cannes

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar said “the United States is not a democracy right now” in an interview with the Los Angeles Times published ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, where his new film, “Bitter Christmas,” is competing in the main competition of the 79th annual festival in France.

“People are obviously very afraid,” said the famous Spanish filmmaker. “The United States is not a democracy right now. Some say maybe it’s a flawed democracy, but I really don’t think the United States is a democracy right now. What’s heartbreaking and ironic is that democracy has given rise, through a proper and fair voting mechanism, to this kind of totalitarian regime. And it’s both a paradox and it’s also incredibly sad.”

Mr. Almodovar, 76, also criticized the 2026 Oscars ceremony for what he described as a lack of political engagement from attendees. “I don’t blame anyone in particular, but it was pretty remarkable watching the Oscars telecast where there weren’t a lot of protests against the war or against Trump,” he said.

He cited Spanish actor Javier Bardem as the only notable exception, saying Mr. Bardem “directly said, ‘Free Palestine.’

Asked if speaking out posed a risk to his career, Mr. Almodovar said no, adding that his status as a foreigner gave him some freedom. “In the generalized Spanish sense, here we are not afraid to call things like they are,” he told the Times. “I’m a foreigner. This allows me to be clearer in the moment.”

The director also recalls accepting the Chaplin Prize at New York’s Lincoln Center last year, where he questioned whether it was appropriate to visit a country he described as “governed by a narcissistic authority that does not respect human rights.”

At the Cannes press conference for “Bitter Christmas,” Mr. Almodovar went further, declaring that “Europe must never be subjugated to Trump” — remarks that drew applause from the international press in attendance, according to Variety. He also wore a “Free Palestine” pin at the event.

Mr. Almodovar is one of Spain’s most celebrated filmmakers, having won the best director prize at Cannes in 1999 for “All About My Mother” and the best screenplay prize in 2006 for “Volver.” “Bitter Christmas,” his eighth film in competition at Cannes, premiered to a 6.5-minute standing ovation.