Winner of the 1999 Cannes Best Director prize, this affectionate drama of a mother’s compassion serves as Almodóvar’s tribute to his two greatest inspirations: women and film. The tragic death of her son impels Manuela (Cecilia Roth) to find her long-missing husband, a trek that leads her across Madrid and Barcelona, and into the path of several women and men (and men who would be women) who need aid. References to such classic heroine-driven films as All About Eve, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Opening Night abound, but what shines above the cinephilia is Almodóvar’s love and respect for women’s resilience, strength, and splendor.