Inside Pedro Almodóvar's 'Bitter Christmas': A Universe of Design and Emotion

The forthcoming film 'Bitter Christmas' by Pedro Almodóvar is set to be released in the UK on 28 August 2026 and highlights his distinctive visual approach through intricately crafted interiors. This autofictional narrative centers on Raúl (Leonardo Sbaraglia), who grapples with writer's block. Antxón Gómez, the art director who has collaborated on 13 of Almodóvar's projects, notes that the decor serves as an additional character. Raúl's residence, located in the Madrid home of architect Francisco de Asís Cabrero (1962), features pieces from Gio Ponti, Carlo Scarpa, Le Corbusier, and Jaime Hayon. In an emotional moment set to Chavela Vargas’s 'Amarga Navidad,' another character, Elsa (Barbara Lennie), visits Patricia (Victoria Luengo), where a green Bubble sofa by Sacha Lakic from Almodóvar's 2025 Roche Bobois collection is showcased. The film also includes artworks from Almodóvar's collection, such as a screenprint by Sigfrido Martín Begué and a painting by Miguel Ángel Campano, alongside pieces by Inka Essenhigh and Asher Liftin. Additionally, scenes filmed in Lanzarote feature La Cabaña, designed by Yoann Le Mercier, characterized by its white walls and black lava rock, representing a shift in Almodóvar's palette from vivid hues to somber blues and greens.