During his acceptance speech for the Chaplin award in New York, renowned Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar strongly criticized US President Donald Trump, labeling him a 'catastrophe' and expressing doubts about attending the ceremony in a country ruled by such an individual. Almodóvar highlighted Trump's disregard for human rights and his manipulation of language to distort reality. He directly addressed Trump, predicting that he would be remembered as a significant detriment to humanity.
Almodóvar drew parallels between his experiences growing up under Franco's dictatorship in Spain and the current political climate in the US under Trump. He contrasted this with the liberty he experienced post-Franco, emphasizing how crucial that newfound freedom was to his career.
The ceremony included tributes from numerous prominent figures in film and entertainment, including Dua Lipa, John Turturro, John Waters, and Martin Scorsese. Waters hailed Almodóvar as the best filmmaker globally, while Lipa praised his normalization of LGBTQ+ themes in his work.
The article also touches upon the concerns expressed by Karla Sofía Gascón, the first trans actress nominated for an Academy Award, about discrimination and the anti-trans sentiment she encountered in the United States.