The Human Voice (film)

The Human Voice
Theatrical release poster
Spanish	La voz humana
Directed by	Pedro Almodóvar
Screenplay by	Pedro Almodóvar
Based on	The Human Voice by Jean Cocteau
Produced by	Agustín Almodóvar Esther García
Starring	Tilda Swinton
Cinematography	José Luis Alcaine
Edited by	Teresa Font
Music by	Alberto Iglesias
Production company	El Deseo
Distributed by	Wanda Films Avalon
Release dates	3 September 2020 (2020-09-03) (Venice) 21 October 2020 (2020-10-21) (Spain)
Running time	30 minutes[1]
Country	Spain[2][3]
Language	English
Box office	$321,229[4]

The Human Voice (Spanish: La voz humana) is a 2020 Spanish drama short film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, based on the play of the same name by Jean Cocteau.^[5] It stars Tilda Swinton and is Almodóvar's first film acted in English.

The film had its world premiere at the 77th Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2020. It was released in Spain on 21 October 2020 by Wanda Films and Avalon.

Cast

• Tilda Swinton
• Agustín Almodóvar
• Miguel Almodóvar
• Pablo Almodóvar
• Diego Pajuelo
• Carlos García Cambero

Production

In February 2020, it was announced Tilda Swinton had joined the cast of the film, with Pedro Almodóvar directing from a screenplay he wrote based upon the play of the same name by Jean Cocteau.^[6]

Principal photography was set to begin in April 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[7][8] Principal photography began on 16 July 2020.^[9] Production concluded on 27 July 2020.^[10]

Release

The Human Voice had its world premiere at the 77th Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2020.^[11] Later that month, Sony Pictures Classics acquired American distribution rights to the film.^[12] It also screened at the New York Film Festival on 24 September 2020,^[13][14] and at the BFI London Film Festival on 17 October 2020.^[15][16] It was released in Spain on 21 October 2020 by Wanda Films and Avalon.^[17] In the United States, the film was released in select theatres on 12 March 2021.^[18] Pathé acquired the UK rights to the short film, and released it on 19 May 2021^[19] (originally given a 7 November 2020 release^[20]) through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures via 20th Century Studios and Buena Vista International; it was the last film released by Pathé under the current Fox–Disney deal at the time, as the company would sign a new deal with Warner Bros. in June of that year.^[21]

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 64 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Human Voice unites Pedro Almodóvar and Tilda Swinton for a short film whose rich rewards are belied by its abbreviated length."^[22] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 88 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[23]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film four out of five stars, describing it as "a tale of someone isolated, regretful, anxious, unable to tell whether current arrangements are contingent or permanent, retreating into gestures of self-immolating despair."^[24]

References

1. "The Human Voice". Venice Biennale. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
2. Lodge, Guy (3 September 2020). "'The Human Voice' Review: Tilda Swinton Sets the Screen Ablaze in Pedro Almodóvar's Iridescent Short". Variety. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
3. "The Human Voice". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
4. "The Human Voice". The Numbers. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
5. Agrawal, Shikhar (12 May 2021). "'The Human Voice' Summary & Ending, Explained – Distinctively Inviting". Digital Mafia Talkies. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
6. Kohn, Eric (9 February 2020). "Pedro Almodóvar Reveals Post-Oscar Plans for New Short Film Starring Tilda Swinton — Exclusive". IndieWire. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
7. Lang, Jamie (10 February 2020). "Pedro Preps Post-Oscars Projects: Almodóvar to Film in English". Variety. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
8. Hopewell, John (30 June 2020). "Pedro Almodovar, Penelope Cruz Look to Team Up on Motherhood-Themed 'Madres Paralelas'". Variety. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
9. Almodóvar, Agustín [@AgustinAlmo] (16 July 2020). "Pedro Almodóvar, Tilda Swinton, El Deseo, #LaVozHumana . Primer día de rodaje" (Tweet) (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2020 – via Twitter.
10. Almodóvar, Agustín [@AgustinAlmo] (27 July 2020). "We happily finished filming #lavozhumana, #TheHumanVoice . Pedro and Tilda, hand in hand, have given us a wonderful experience for the entire team. Mr Covid wasn't here.Thank you for not passing by" (Tweet). Retrieved 27 July 2020 – via Twitter.
11. "Two films have been added to the line-up of the 77th Venice Film Festival". Venice Biennale. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
12. Fleming, Mike Jr. (23 September 2020). "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Pedro Almodovar New York Film Festival Short 'The Human Voice'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
13. Welk, Brian (27 August 2020). "Sofia Coppola's 'On the Rocks,' Pedro Almodovar's 'The Human Voice' and Orson Welles Doc Added to NYFF Lineup". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
14. "NYFF58 Schedule: Drive-Ins and Virtual". Film at Lincoln Center. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
15. Ramachandran, Naman (24 September 2020). "BFI London Film Festival Adds Pedro Almodovar, Steve McQueen Titles". Variety. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
16. "The Human Voice + pre-recorded Q&A with Pedro Almodóvar & Tilda Swinton". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
17. "La voz humana" (in Spanish). Wanda Films. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
18. Pedersen, Erik (2 March 2021). "'The Human Voice' Trailer: Tilda Swinton In Pedro Almodóvar's Oscar-Shortlisted Short". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
19. "The Human Voice". Pathé UK.
20. Ramachandran, Naman (15 October 2020). "Pedro Almodovar's 'The Human Voice' Gets U.K. Release From Pathé – Global Bulletin". Variety. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
21. Yossman, K. J. (7 June 2021). "Warner Bros, Pathé Strike U.K. Distribution Deal". Variety. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
22. "The Human Voice (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
23. "The Human Voice Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
24. Bradshaw, Peter (13 May 2021). "The Human Voice review – Tilda Swinton on the verge in Almodóver's tale of despair". The Guardian.

External links

• The Human Voice at IMDb 
• The Human Voice at Rotten Tomatoes