LE MONDE'S RATING: A MUST-SEE

In The Last Dream, his first book combining fiction and autobiographical accounts published in 2024, Pedro Almodovar recounts his mother's final moments. With a blend of astonishment and admiration, he describes how Francisca meticulously staged her own funeral: "My mother said bye to this world exactly as she would have liked. And it was not by chance, she had decided so."

It was at the funeral home that he discovered that she had planned her outfit down to the smallest detail: a St. Anthony robe, brown with cord, a badge bearing the Saint's image on her chest, the scapulars of Our Lady of Sorrows, and a medal of St. Isidore. A single blessing not being enough, she ensured through her daughter that her mortal remains would receive a full Mass. Thus, she departed, fully adorned against the possibility of hell.

Preparing one's final day as a grand event. Not letting others decide for you. Staying in control of your ending. Such is the theme of the 23rd feature by the Madrid-based filmmaker, The Room Next Door, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2024.

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