David Farnor | On 24, Sep 2020

Pedro Almodóvar’s The Human Voice has joined the London Film Festival line-up.

Running from 7th to 18th October, this year’s event takes place digitally as well as in person, with cinemas across the UK joining in to host special preview screenings.

Now, hot on the heels of the addition of Steve McQueen’s Lovers Rock, another big name is heading to town. Almodóvar’s English-debut, which stars Tilda Swinton, is a short film based on Jean Cocteau’s play. It presents a woman on the edge waiting for her lover to call. Laws of desire become the rules of the game as Tilda Swinton’s unnamed woman paces and panics in a glorious Technicolor apartment where décor offers a window into her state of mind.

The film is the cherry on the cake for a robust line-up of short films at this year’s festival. While all the other shorts are available to watch for free on BFI Player, however, the BFI has announced that The Human will only screen in cinemas – at BFI Southbank, in particular – on Saturday 17th October. The screening will be accompanied by a pre-recorded introduction and Q&A with Pedro Almodóvar and Tilda Swinton.

For more on how the festival will work, click here – or head this way for our guide to what to watch at the fest.

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