New Pedro Almodóvar film, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, receives 17 minute ovation at Venice

The film sees Moore and Swinton play old friends who reconnect when one learns she is dealing with a terminal illness

The new movie by acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, The Room Next Door, starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore received a remarkable 17-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

The applause for the film, Almodóvar’s first feature in the English language, has eclipsed all of the other ovations that the festival has seen so far.

According to Variety, the next closest film to receive such a reception was Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, which had the audience clapping their hands for 12 minutes. Others that received notable applause were Pablo Larrain’s Maria, starring Angelina Jolie (eight minutes) and Justin Kurzel’s The Order, starring Jude Law (seven minutes).

After the film ended, the director, best known for his Spanish language films such as Talk to Her and All About My Mother, descended the stairs of the Sala Grande theatre with both Swinton and Moore, kissed them both on the cheek and raised their arms in the air.

As the 74-year-old director soaked in the praise, Almodóvar reportedly managed to extend it by signing autographs and taking selfies with fans, as Moore and Swinton looked on and laughed before eventually making their exit.

The film sees Moore and Swinton play former friends Ingrid (Moore) and Martha (Swinton) respectively, who previously worked together on a magazine in New York City. Ingrid has since gone on to become a best-selling novelist and reconnects with Martha, now a former war correspondent who is now dying of cervical cancer.

The film, which deals with the topic of euthanasia, also stars John Turturro and Alessandro Nivola and is adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s 2020 novel What Are You Going Through.

At the movie’s press conference in Venice, Almodóvar said “There should be the possibility to have euthanasia all over the world.” He added: “It should be regulated and a doctor should be allowed to help his patient.”

Pedro Almodovar, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton pose on the red carpet ahead of the premiere of The Room Next Door at the Venice Film Festival (REUTERS)

At the same press conference, Swinton said that she “can’t say I wouldn’t act in exactly the same way” as her character.

“I personally am not frightened of death, nor have I ever been,” said the Oscar-winning Michael Clayton star. “I think the whole journey toward accepting death can be long for some people, but for some reason, because of certain experiences in my life, I became aware early.

The Room Next Door is set for a UK cinema release date of 25 October.