JUST IN…Spanish film director’s blunt seven-word take-down of Donald Trump at Cannes…FULL STORY The iconic filmmaker , 76, debuted his latest film, Bitter Christmas, at the notable French film festival. Almodóvar had a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, for his new movie. During the press conference, he was asked about “Hollywood being in crisis and Canal+ threatening creators.” The journalist was referring to the current controversy with Canal+, a French channel and media conglomerate, where the company’s Chair and CEO Maxime Saada said they would not work with anyone who signed the petition against billionaire Vincent Bolloré (a main shareholder of Canal +) accusing him of spearheading a far-right “civilizational project.”Almodóvar took the moment to address the journalist’s question while also blasting Trump. Other creatives at Cannes have slammed Trump, specifically Javier Bardem who criticized him, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin for their “male toxic behavior.”Donald Trump dubbed a ‘buffoon’ as he sparks health fears with latest ‘dumb’ comment
• Guillermo Del Toro makes political statement at Cannes as he receives standing ovation
Almodóvar began by first noting how censorship “does affect us a lot” but urged artist to still raise their voices.
“I don’t want to judge anyone, but I think artists have to speak out about the situation in which they live in contemporary society. It’s a moral duty,” Almodóvar said per Variety.
Pedro also slammed Trump last year when accepting the Chaplin Award in New York City
“Silence and fear is a symptom that things are going badly. It’s a serious sign democracy is crumbling. On the contrary, creators must speak out… the worst thing that could happen would be to remain silent or to be censored. We have a moral obligation to speak out,” he continued.The screenwriter added, “Europe must never be subjected to Trump,” to which he received thunderous applause from the room of international press
This is not the first time Almodóvar has publicly slammed the 79-year-old US president. In May 2025, he accepted the Chaplin Award at Lincoln Center in New York City and he said in his speech that he had doubted if it was “appropriate” to come to America, which is “ruled by a narcissistic authority, who doesn’t respect human rights.”
Later in his speech, he asserted that Trump “will go down in history as a catastrophe.”
Almodóvar has never shied away from speaking his mind and talking about global issues. He even displayed a Free Palestine pin on his jacket at the Cannes press conference. In his recent interview with Los Angeles Times, Almodóvar expressed that he doesn’t “have many fears” when it comes to speaking up.
Almodóvar is not afraid to speak up about political issues
“I don’t have many fears. In a generalized Spanish sense, here we’re not afraid to call things for what they are. We have a government that has called Gaza a genocide and the Spanish people in general are not afraid to call these wars out for what they are,” he told the outlet.
Almodóvar also acknowledged that it’s “easier for me to be clear” about his views in America because he’s a “foreigner” and knows he can go back home to Spain.
Elsewhere in the interview, he brought up how apolitical the 2026 Oscars’ broadcast was and noted the only “real example he remembers” is from his fellow Spaniard and friend, Javier Bardem, who said Free Palestine on the stage when presenting.
“People are obviously very frightened. The U.S. is not a democracy right now. Some people say it’s maybe an imperfect democracy, but I really don’t think the U.S. is a democracy right now. The heartbreaking and ironic thing is that democracy has given rise, through the proper, right voting mechanism, to this kind of totalitarian regime. And it’s both a paradox and it’s also incredibly sad,” Almodóvar added.
Bitter Christmas premiered at Cannes on May 19 to a 6.5-minute standing ovation. The comedy-drama is Almodóvar’s eight film that he’s showcased at Cannes. All About My Mother earned the author the Best Director award in 1999 and he won the Best Screenplay with Volver in 2006.
