Pedro Almodóvar selects the ten best films of the century for the New York Times
The Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar has contributed to a New York Times ranking to determine the greatest cinematic work of the past 25 years, offering his personal list of ten films.
The Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar has taken part in a New York Times poll to identify the best film of the past quarter century, lending his voice to a ranking that has stirred debate among cinephiles. His selection, which spans a variety of genres and national cinemas, reflects the eclectic taste of a director known for his bold visual style and deep engagement with questions of identity, desire, and memory.
Almodóvar, whose own career has flourished over the same period with works such as «All About My Mother», «Talk to Her», and «Pain and Glory», was among several prominent directors invited by the newspaper to contribute to the list. The initiative aims to establish a canon of the most significant films released since the turn of the millennium, a time of rapid change in the industry, from the rise of digital filmmaking to the global expansion of streaming platforms.
While the full list of Almodóvar's ten choices has been published by the New York Times, the director's selections highlight a preference for intimate, character-driven stories over large-scale blockbusters. His picks include works by contemporary auteurs who, like him, have explored the complexities of human relationships and the cultural shifts of the modern era. The list notably features films from outside the English-speaking world, underscoring Almodóvar's long-standing advocacy for diverse cinematic voices.
The ranking has generated considerable attention in film circles, with critics and audiences debating the merits of the chosen works and the omissions. Almodóvar's participation adds a personal dimension to the project, as his own films have often been cited as influential in the same period. His latest work, «The Room Next Door», won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2024, cementing his status as one of the most enduring figures in world cinema.
For Hochland readers, the list offers more than a simple enumeration of films; it provides a lens into how a major artist perceives the cultural and moral questions of our time. Almodóvar's selections, often rooted in themes of loss, reconciliation, and the search for meaning, resonate with the publication's interest in the deeper currents that shape contemporary life. As the debate over the century's best film continues, the director's choices invite reflection on the role of cinema in capturing the human condition.
