Pedro Almodóvar Caballero was born in Calzada de Calatrava, Spain,  a rural small town of Ciudad Real, a province of Castile-La Mancha in the administrative district of Almagro, on September 25th, exactly 63 years ago. He is the most successful and well-known Spanish filmmaker of our time (some would say ever), has won many awards worldwide (including a couple of Oscars) and has kick-started the careers of many international stars: Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Antonio Banderas are three actors that broke out in Almodóvar films. His stories seamlessly blend drama, dark humor, identity, sexuality, deviation, music, crime, family, love, revenge and color. He’s an icon, a master and a genius. ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Pedro!

Please go here for a fantastic scene from my favorite Almodóvar film (my favorite film, period), Volver, where Raimunda (Penélope Cruz) sings a flamenco version of Carlos Gardel’s tango (also named “Volver”), while her dead mother (a superb Carmen Maura), who taught her the song, listens from afar and can’t help but be moved by her daughter’s talent.