Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers (Madres Paralelas, 2021) is a deeply emotional Spanish drama about motherhood, identity, guilt, and the long shadows of history. With a masterful performance from Penélope Cruz and Almodóvar’s signature visual style, the film intertwines personal trauma with collective memory, creating one of his most mature and politically resonant works.
Detailed Summary
Two Mothers, One Fate
The story begins with Janis Martínez Moreno (Penélope Cruz), a professional photographer in Madrid. While photographing anthropologist Arturo (Israel Elejalde), Janis asks for his help in exhuming a mass grave in her home village—her great-grandfather’s burial site, who was killed during the Spanish Civil War. A brief affair follows, and Janis becomes pregnant. Arturo, however, is married and has a wife battling cancer, so he distances himself.
At the hospital, Janis shares a room with Ana Manso (Milena Smit), a teenage mother-to-be. The two women bond instantly, both nervous and hopeful. They give birth on the same day and exchange phone numbers before going their separate ways, each taking home her baby girl.
Shocking Discovery
Months later, Arturo visits Janis and meets the baby, Cecilia. He’s puzzled by the child’s darker complexion. After a DNA test, Janis is devastated to learn the baby is not biologically hers. Overwhelmed by confusion and guilt, she investigates quietly and realizes the truth—the hospital mixed up the babies. Ana’s child died of crib death, meaning that Janis has been raising Ana’s biological daughter all along.
Janis decides not to tell Ana immediately, fearing the emotional consequences, and continues to raise the baby as her own.
Lives Reconnected
Janis hires Ana as a nanny, under the pretext of helping her out, but secretly hoping to stay close to her biological child. Ana has undergone immense change since the hospital—she’s more mature but emotionally fragile, scarred by trauma, and estranged from her mother, a self-absorbed actress.
As Janis and Ana grow closer, their bond deepens beyond friendship, evolving into a tender, intimate relationship. However, Janis’s secret continues to weigh heavily on her conscience.
The Revelation
Eventually, Janis can no longer bear the deception. She confesses to Ana that their babies were switched at birth. The emotional confrontation that follows is raw and heartbreaking. Ana is shocked but ultimately compassionate. They both realize that their lives and motherhood are now forever intertwined, parallel yet inseparable.
Movie Ending
In the final act, Janis finally fulfills her long-standing mission. With Arturo’s help, she oversees the exhumation of the mass grave in her home village. The process is solemn, respectful, and charged with the pain of generations silenced by history. As the bones of her great-grandfather and others are unearthed, Janis stands surrounded by local villagers, some descendants of the victims.
The closing sequence is powerful and symbolic—the camera pans across the faces of the living and the remains of the dead, connecting Spain’s collective memory with Janis’s personal journey. The parallel between the two stories—mothers seeking truth about their lost children and descendants seeking truth about their lost ancestors—becomes clear. Both are acts of recovery, justice, and reconciliation.
In the end, Janis and Ana sit together with their babies, embodying the resilience of motherhood and the endurance of truth. The film closes on an image of solidarity and remembrance rather than despair.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No, Parallel Mothers does not feature a post-credits scene. The film ends definitively with the exhumation sequence, leaving a quiet yet profound emotional echo.
Type of Movie
This is a drama with strong elements of melodrama, historical reflection, and psychological realism. It weaves intimate human stories with political undertones—a hallmark of Almodóvar’s cinema.
Cast
- Penélope Cruz as Janis Martínez Moreno
- Milena Smit as Ana Manso
- Israel Elejalde as Arturo Buendía
- Aitana Sánchez-Gijón as Teresa, Ana’s mother
- Julieta Serrano as Brígida, Janis’s grandmother
- Rossy de Palma as Elena, Janis’s boss and friend
Film Music and Composer
The hauntingly beautiful score was composed by Alberto Iglesias, a longtime collaborator of Almodóvar. The music blends classical arrangements with modern tones, mirroring the film’s emotional tension between past and present. Iglesias’s work was widely praised for amplifying the film’s emotional depth.
Filming Locations
The movie was shot in Madrid and Torremocha de Jarama, a village in Spain’s Madrid region. The modern interiors contrast with the rural landscapes, symbolizing the coexistence of Spain’s contemporary life and its buried historical past. The exhumation scenes were filmed on actual historical ground, adding authenticity and gravitas.
Awards and Nominations
- Academy Award Nomination (2022) – Best Actress (Penélope Cruz)
- Academy Award Nomination (2022) – Best Original Score (Alberto Iglesias)
- BAFTA Nomination – Best Actress (Cruz)
- Venice Film Festival (2021) – Volpi Cup for Best Actress (Penélope Cruz, Winner)
- Numerous other nominations at Goya Awards and European Film Awards
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Almodóvar conceived the idea in the early 2000s but waited until Spain’s political climate was more open to addressing the Civil War’s mass graves.
- Penélope Cruz described this role as one of the most emotionally demanding of her career.
- Milena Smit, a relative newcomer, was personally chosen by Almodóvar after he saw her in Cross the Line (No matarás).
- The set’s design intentionally used warm reds and earthy tones to reflect maternity and passion, while the grave scenes used desaturated colors to evoke realism.
- Almodóvar stated he wrote the script “as a love letter to the women who keep memory alive.”
Inspirations and References
- The film is loosely inspired by real stories of families who lost relatives during Spain’s Franco dictatorship and sought to identify their remains decades later.
- Thematically, it draws from Almodóvar’s own recurring motifs—motherhood, female solidarity, secrets, and memory.
- The cinematography and composition pay homage to Spanish painter Diego Velázquez, particularly in lighting and framing.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
There are no confirmed alternate endings, but Almodóvar reportedly trimmed several scenes that expanded on Janis’s relationship with Arturo to focus more on the emotional bond between the two mothers. A brief sequence involving Ana’s mother’s career struggles was also shortened in the final cut.
Book Adaptations and Differences
The movie is not based on a book, though it draws narrative inspiration from historical nonfiction accounts of Civil War exhumations and the broader movement for historical memory in Spain.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The hospital birthing sequence where Janis and Ana first meet.
- Janis discovering through DNA results that the baby isn’t hers.
- The kitchen confession where Janis tells Ana the truth.
- The excavation of the mass grave, merging personal and collective history.
Iconic Quotes
- Janis: “The truth is always waiting, even if it takes generations to find it.”
- Ana: “We’re connected forever, even if we weren’t meant to be.”
- Arturo: “History is made of people who refuse to forget.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- The photos in Janis’s studio subtly echo real-life Spanish Civil War portraits.
- The baby crib in Janis’s apartment is the same model used in Almodóvar’s earlier film All About My Mother, symbolizing thematic continuity.
- Janis’s name references Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions, fitting her dual motherhood.
Trivia
- Penélope Cruz became the first Spanish actress nominated for an Oscar for a Spanish-language role since herself in Volver (2006).
- The mass grave scenes were supervised by actual forensic anthropologists.
- Almodóvar originally intended to cast a different actress for Ana but rewrote the part after meeting Milena Smit.
- The title “Parallel Mothers” reflects not only Janis and Ana but also Spain’s parallel histories—personal and collective.
Why Watch?
Watch Parallel Mothers if you appreciate intense character-driven drama with a balance of emotion, mystery, and historical reflection. It’s a film that speaks to both the heart and the conscience, and it captures Pedro Almodóvar at his most thoughtful and politically daring.
Director’s Other Movies
- All About My Mother (1999)
- Talk to Her (2002)
- Volver (2006)
- The Skin I Live In (2011)
- Pain and Glory (2019)
Recommended Films for Fans
- Roma (2018)
- Julieta (2016)
- Pieces of a Woman (2020)
- The Lost Daughter (2021)
- Amour (2012)
