Pedro Almodóvar's Gay Western Sparks Cannes Controversy and Film Buzz.
Pedro Almodóvar premiered his 31-minute short film, Strange Way of Life, at Cannes, starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as former lovers who reunite in the desert. The film is a fun and soapy take on the gay cowboy movie genre, with Almodóvar's signature sensuality and humor. The director spoke about his choice to avoid an explicit sex scene, instead focusing on the eroticism of their conversations. Almodóvar also revealed that he took inspiration from various modern Westerns, including Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow and Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog. He even pondered turning the short into a full-length feature.