Kino Aurora: Autofiction (+ Film Reading Circle)

Age limit: 12. Runtime: 1 h 52 min. Genre: drama, fantasy, drama thriller. Year of completion: 2026. Director: Pedro Almodóvar. Language: Spanish. Subtitles: Finnish.

Spanish directing legend Pedro Almodóvar’s melodrama *Autofiction* (*Amarga Navidad*) tells the story of a filmmaker struggling with a creative crisis who draws on the tragedies of those close to them as material for their work. At the center of the film is Elsa, an advertising photographer who works nonstop and gives herself no time to grieve her mother’s death. She heads to Lanzarote with a friend, as they both need a break from everyday life. Alongside the women’s story runs that of a filmmaker exploring how inseparably real life and fiction can become intertwined, and how the experiences of those close to us can be transformed into art—sometimes in a way that stirs controversy. After the screening, you can stay to discuss the film at the Film Reading Circle, led by researcher, teacher and bibliotherapy instructor Karoliina Maanmieli.