Two characters sit next to each other on a green couch with the backdrop depicting a living room. The woman on the left wears a red turtleneck and the woman on the right wears a green long sleeve top.

Bitter Christmas Sydney Premiere

  • Cinema
  • Playhouse
  • Run time: 112 minutes Subject to change
  • Seating map

Spain l 2026 | Spanish l Drama | Unclassified R18+

Pedro Almodóvar returns with his new feature, following Elsa, an advertising director whose mother dies during a long December holiday. She works non-stop and, without realising, doesn’t give herself time to mourn her mother’s absence. After a crisis, Elsa decides to travel to the island of Lanzarote accompanied by her friend Patricia, who also needs to get away from the city.

The story of these characters run parallel to that of a screenwriter and film director Raúl, who is writing a script that we soon discover is the story of Elsa and her friends.

The film narrates the often painful relationship between reality and fiction, between inspiration and life, exploring the limits of autofiction and stories within stories.

Presented by Sydney Opera House

Event details

[An] elegant rumination on art and ethics … It’s intricately structured; beautifully acted by a cast of both regulars and newcomers; dripping in visual style; and surging with intense melodrama.

The Hollywood Reporter

Cast and credits

Writer & Director Pedro Almodóvar

Elsa Bárbara Lennie
Raúl Rossetti Leonardo Sbaraglia
Mónica Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
Patricia Victoria Luengo
Bonifacio Patrick Criado
Natalia Milena Smit 
Santi Quim Gutiérrez

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Plan your visit

Address

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Getting to the venue

The Opera House is a 7-10 minute walk from Circular Quay, and is easily accessible by car, train, ferry, lightrail, bus, bike and on foot.

Location and access

Playhouse

The Playhouse is located in the north-western corner of Sydney Opera House, best accessed through the Western Foyers.

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