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Memory, trauma, and autobiographical traces in Pedro Almodovar's Julieta and Pain and Glory

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  • ADINA ELENA MOCANU

    (University of Craiova)

Abstract

This paper analyze the role of memory in the construction of identity in Pedro Almodovar's Julieta (2016) and Pain and Glory (Dolor y Gloria, 2019). Through a comparative textual and narratological analysis, I will examine how both films portray memory as a way through which loss and emotional suffering are reinterpreted and transformed into narrative and artistic creation. Drawing on Paul Ricoeur's theory of narrative identity and Cathy Caruth's concept of trauma, I will argue that the protagonists reconstruct their identities through acts of remembrance triggered by bereavement, physical pain, depression, and the enduring relationship with their mothers. Particular attention is paid to the autobiographical dimension of Pain and Glory, the melodramatic aesthetics characteristic of Almodovar's cinema, and the intersection between autobiography and autofiction. Overall, I will demonstrate that memory functions as the central organizing principle of both films, allowing the director to transform personal experience into a particular reflection on identity, trauma, nostalgy and motherhood.

Suggested Citation

  • Adina Elena Mocanu, 2026. "Memory, trauma, and autobiographical traces in Pedro Almodovar's Julieta and Pain and Glory," Social Sciences and Education Research Review, Department of Communication, Journalism and Education Sciences, University of Craiova, vol. 13(1), pages 453-457, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:edt:jsserr:v:13:y:2026:i:1:p:453-457
    DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21358811
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    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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