Him Nothing is simple
The principle of patient autonomy in Almodóvar's cinema
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24310/fotocinema.31.2025.21494Keywords:
Spanish Cinema, Patient Autonomy, Illness, Almodóvar, Gender Studies;, WomenAbstract
This study investigates the representation of patient autonomy in the filmography of Pedro Almodóvar. Specifically, we analyse this bioethical principle in what might be defined as his “healthcare trilogy”: All About My Mother (1999), Talk to Her (2002) and The Skin I Live In (2011). Throughout the article, we examine how the filmmaker articulates the progressive erosion of patient autonomy in relation to power and gender dynamics, using artistic resources—literature, dance and sculpture—as a metaphor that delves into the complex relationship between the caregiver and the patient.
The methodology adopted combines a qualitative content analysis with a hermeneutic film approach. A detailed study of screenplays, as well as the visual and narrative resources in the selected films, alongside relevant scientific articles, has been conducted. In each of these works, key scenes have been identified that illustrate the evolution of healthcare authority and its impact on the autonomy of the characters/patients. This research concludes that Almodóvar employs artistic references as a metaphor for patient autonomy in relation to power and gender dynamics.
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Queremos agradecer a los hermanos Pedro y Agustín Almodóvar por la ayuda y colaboración en la realización de esta investigación. También a su productora El Deseo por ceder el uso de las imágenes incluidas en este análisis.
Sin la ayuda de la Academia de Cine, Filmoteca Española, Netflix, FlixOlé, Ilustre Colegio de Enfermería de Madrid y el apoyo del grupo de investigación anonimizado hasta evaluación del artículo hubiera sido imposible realizar este trabajo.
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