Hidden secrets, utopias, ghosts and the Hispanic periphery in Los abrazos rotos (2009): Pedro Almodóvar’s homage to Lanzarote and César Manrique (1919-92)

Taking as my starting point Almodóvar’s statement that Los abrazos rotos contains ‘una historia que subyace a todas las demás’ and building upon Javier Herrera’s attention to the ‘doubling’ within the film, together with María Delgado’s and Katarzyna Beilin’s claims that it can be linked to questions of historical memory, in this article I will examine in greater detail Almodóvar’s comments regarding the influence of Lanzarote and the prominent Lanzarotean artist/sculptor César Manrique on this film. After analysing the scenes that take place on the island and assessing their relevance to the film as a whole, I contend that Lanzarote is a prime force and, furthermore, that Los abrazos rotos contains strong links with the work, life and death of Manrique, whom Almodóvar met during his visit to the island in 1986. Finally, I propose that it is through exploring the significance of Lanzarote and Manrique in this complex, multi-layered film that we can fully appreciate Almodóvar’s engagement with contemporary Spanish issues in Los abrazos rotos and the way in which he uses the film to raise provocative questions about Spain’s present, past and future, the status and role of the Hispanic periphery and the construction of utopias.