Acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar has launched a sharp critique of the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony, accusing the event of being deliberately apolitical while the world faces urgent geopolitical crises. In recent remarks, Almodovar also contended that the United States has ceased functioning as a democracy.

The director, speaking to Los Angeles Times, drew a stark contrast between his native Spain's willingness to name injustice plainly and what he perceives as Hollywood's reluctance to do the same. Almodovar attributed his own outspokenness to his status as a foreigner operating outside the studio system, which he suggested insulates him from career repercussions.

Trump criticism and the Chaplin Award

Almodovar has not shied away from political commentary in recent years. In 2025, while receiving the Chaplin Award at Lincoln Center in New York City, he denounced the then-president as a "narcissistic authority" who disrespects human rights and predicted Trump would be remembered as a "catastrophe."

Democracy under threat

When pressed on whether his candour risks damaging his career, Almodovar responded with characteristic directness. "Not at all. I don't have many fears," he said, noting that Spanish culture traditionally resists euphemism. He pointed to Spain's government labelling Gaza a genocide and the broader Spanish public's willingness to call wars what they are.

On the state of American democracy, Almodovar offered a sobering assessment. "The U.S. is not a democracy right now," he stated flatly. While acknowledging that some describe it as "an imperfect democracy," he rejected that framing entirely. He highlighted what he called a paradox: "Democracy has given rise, through the proper, right voting mechanism, to this kind of totalitarian regime."

The Oscar silence

The filmmaker's most pointed observation concerned the 2026 Oscars telecast itself. He noted the absence of widespread protest against war or the current administration, remarking that Javier Bardem—a European peer—was "the only real example" he could recall of a presenter directly invoking a political cause by calling "Free Palestine."

"It was quite notable watching the Oscar telecast where there were not many protests against the war or against Trump," Almodovar observed. He stopped short of assigning blame but underscored what he saw as a troubling pattern of institutional silence.

What's ahead

Almodovar's latest film, Bitter Christmas, is in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where his willingness to blend artistic vision with political conviction will likely draw continued scrutiny.