Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar‘s 1989 film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! is a hilarious dark comedy starring Antonio Banderas as a mentally ill man who holds a former girlfriend hostage in the hope of convincing her to marry him. Check it out if you haven’t seen it: it’s filled with the director’s signature over the top satire and gorgeous visuals. The film is back in the public consciousness after the news that Almodovar is one of the names in the Panama Papers. Almodovar and his brother, Agustin, took the profits from Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! and other movies and tied the money up in an offshore account in the early 1990s.
This week Almodovar canceled interviews for his new film, Julieta, following the revelations. His brother is taking full responsibility for the decision. “I took control of everything related to business management and he was dedicated to all creative aspects. I deeply regret the damage my brother’s public image is suffering, caused exclusively due to my lack of experience in the first years of our family business.” Although Almodovar is having a bad week, perhaps he can take consolation in the knowledge that the news is helping people discover some of his early films.
