Melding melodrama with screwball farce, this hilarious study of sexual mores was Pedro Almodóvar’s international breakthrough, securing his place at the vanguard of modern Spanish cinema.

When Pepa Marcos' (the brilliant Carmen Maura) lover Ivan (Fernando Guillén) suddenly leaves her without any explanation, she resovles to kill herself with a batch of sleeping-pill-laced gazpacho. Fortunately, she is interruptied by a deliciously chaotic series of events. As she embarks on a strange journey to discover why Ivan has left she meets a variety of eccentric characters, including Ivan's son from a previous relationship (Antonio Banderas), his fiancee Marissa (Rossy de Palma) and a terrorist cell who have been secretly holding her best friend Candela (María Barranco) hostage.

A noirish take on the romantic comedy, with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Almodóvar channelled Hollywood inspiration into his own unique vision, arriving at the irreverent humour and vibrant visual style that would come to define him.

Presented with the support of the Independent Cinema Office and BFI, awarding funds from The National Lottery.

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