“Some films I made with Almodóvar could not be made now”

Self-censorship, the power of criticism and the fear of what is not politically correct. Amid total silence, Antonio Banderas’ words have resonated on the set of The Anthill when the actor recalled the films he shot years ago with Pedro Almodóvar.

The actor, director and producer has been on Pablo Motos’ show to promote his musical Gypsywhich opens on October 17 at the Teatro del Soho CaixaBank in his native Malaga. So far, so good. Until Motos asked him about the film by director Halina Reijn, Babygirl. A film with a high sexual content and hints of sado, which he presented at the Venice Film Festival alongside Nicole Kidman. Antonio commented: “It’s a very brave erotic thriller.”

“The times we are living in are very complex. I said it in Venice and I say it in this programme. There are a lot of films that I have made, some with Almodóvar, that could not be made now. They would have a lot of problems to get off the ground.”

“Antonio, is self-censorship penalizing creativity?” Pablo asked him. “Yes. It’s true.” Then he hesitated. “I can see something that bothers me artistically or ideologically because it doesn’t go with me because of a religious issue. But despite that, despite the pain it may cause me, I accept it. I have to defend freedom of expression above all else and artistic freedom even if it bothers me. But I don’t care because the principle of freedom has to come first. But now there are a number of critical, mass channels that establish censorship.”

“Are they scary?” The Malaga native responded: “They are scary. Yes. And great creators are restricted from directing a play or writing a book because they think that it is not politically correct. And political correctness is destroying forms of free expression.”