"A very Beautiful Barcelona": Almodóvar, a tourist in 'All About my Mother (1999)'

Abstract

This paper analyzes the representation of contemporary Barcelona in the film All About my Mother (Todo sobre mi madre, Pedro Almodóvar, 1999). First, we depict the transformation of the city during the democratic period, the so-called «Barcelona model», emphasizing the importance it attaches to the tourist sector. Next, we give an account of the creation of Barcelona Plató, the first of the Spanish film commissions, aimed at promoting the benefits of this transformation. Finally, we analyze the influence of this institution in the film All About my Mother. Almodóvar will recreate the city through a series of aesthetic but also ethical virtues. Finally, we conclude that such representation, due to the transnational success of the film, will be highly influential in the subsequent representations of Barcelona. Therefore, the film must be seen as a capital work in the city’s tourism promotion.