Pedro Almodóvar

Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpeðɾo almoˈðoβar kaβaˈʝeɾo]; born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, producer and former actor. He came to prominence as a director and screenwriter during La Movida Madrileña, a cultural renaissance that followed the death of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. His first few films characterised the sense of sexual and political freedom of the period.

Almodóvar achieved international recognition for his black comedy-drama film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He later won the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay for the comedy-drama All About My Mother (1999) and the drama Talk to Her (2002) respectively. Other popular films include the dark romantic comedy film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990), the melodrama High Heels (1991), the romantic drama thriller Live Flesh (1997), the dramas Bad Education (2004) and Volver (2006), the romantic thriller Broken Embraces (2009) and the psychological thriller The Skin I Live In (2011). His films are marked by his employment of certain actors and creative personnel, complex narratives, melodrama, pop culture, popular songs, irreverent humour, strong colours, and glossy décor. Desire, passion, family, and identity are among Almodóvar’s most prevalent themes.

Surname

A surname or family name is a name added to a given name. In many cases, a surname is a family name and many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name". In the western hemisphere, it is commonly synonymous with last name because it is usually placed at the end of a person's given name.

In most Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries, two or more last names (or surnames) may be used. In China, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Madagascar, Taiwan, Vietnam, and parts of India, the family name is placed before a person's given name.

The style of having both a family name (surname) and a given name (forename) is far from universal. In many countries, it is common for ordinary people to have only one name or mononym.

The concept of a "surname" is a relatively recent historical development, evolving from a medieval naming practice called a "byname". Based on an individual's occupation or area of residence, a byname would be used in situations where more than one person had the same name.

Carmen Maura

Carmen García Maura (born 15 September 1945) is a Spanish actress. In a career that has spanned six decades, Maura is best known for her collaborations with noted Spanish film directors Pedro Almodóvar and Álex de la Iglesia.

Early life

Maura was born in Madrid to Salvador Garcia Santa-Cruz and Carmen Maura Arenzana. Her great-grandfather was the Count of Fuente Nueva de Arenzana, who lived in the Palace of Arenzana in Madrid, currently the embassy of France. Her other great grandfather from her mother´s side was the artist Bartolome Maura Montaner, brother of Antonio Maura, a former prime minister of Spain on five occasions and a noted orator.

Maura studied philosophy and literature at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. From 1964 to 1970, she was married to a lawyer, Francisco Forteza, with whom she has two children, Carmen and Pablo.

Career

Maura began her career as a cabaret singer. Maura's film career was launched in 1970 with an appearance in the film The Man in Hiding. This was followed by a major role in the 1977 film Tigres de papel. Although Maura has played dramatic roles, she is often noted for her comedic roles in films like Sal gorda (1984), Sé infiel y no mires con quién (1985) or Tata mía (1986).

Pedro

Pedro (alternate archaic spelling Pêro) is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for Peter.

The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning "son of Peter" (compare with the English surname Peterson) is Pérez in Spanish, and Peres in Galician and Portuguese, Pires also in Portuguese, and Peiris in coastal area of Sri Lanka (where it originated from the Portuguese version), with all ultimately meaning "son of Pêro".

The name Pedro is derived via the Latin word "petra", from the Greek word "η πετρα" meaning "stone, rock".

The name Peter itself is a translation of the Aramaic Kephas or Cephas meaning "stone".

Pedro may refer to:

Notable people named Pedro

Monarchs