Photos from the set of the forthcoming English-language short film Strange Way of Life, directed by Academy Award winner Pedro Almodóvar, have just emerged online. Images of Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal, the film’s leads, dressed in their western garb. In Strange Way of Life, Hawke plays Jake, a retired gunslinger, and Pascal plays Silva, an old friend with whom he reunites after more than two decades apart.
Over time, though, it becomes clear that this is more than just a chance meeting between old acquaintances. The film takes its name from a popular Portuguese fado song by the late fado legend Amália Rodrigues, and this song will serve as the film’s main theme and opening theme music. Almodóvar told IndieWire, “Those songs are all really melancholy and that is how these two major characters live.” This was in reference to Rodrigues’ music.
In a shot taken by Iglesias Más on the set of the film, Almodóvar, Hawke, and Pascal pose together, although none of them looks particularly melancholy. Based on their attire, we may infer that Hawke’s Jake is the more affluent and upper-class of the two, while Pascal’s Silva is the more down-to-earth kind. Saint Laurent’s chief designer, Anthony Vaccarello, created the costumes. Hawke is noticeably absent from a shot taken on the outdoor set, with Elite actor Manu Rós standing in his place next to a smiling Almodóvar and a more solemn Pascal. Agustin Almodóvar, the director’s younger brother and a film producer who is also involved in Strange Way of Life, shared the photographs on his own Twitter account.
The film is often seen as a reaction to Brokeback Mountain, which starred Heath Ledger (later an Oscar winner) and Jake Gyllenhaal (then up-and-coming actor) as the film’s central cowboys. Almodóvar was approached with the possibility of directing the picture before Ang Lee was set in place. I think Ang Lee made a beautiful movie, but I never imagined that they would give me entire freedom and independence to produce what I wanted,” the director said to IndieWire.
Although no one ever explicitly informed me that there were restrictions, I always sensed that there were. This month, production on the short Western set in southern Spain began. George Steane, Pedro Casablanc, Erenice Lohan, Jason Fernández, and Sara Sálamo also make appearances in the short film alongside José Condessa. Although no specific date has been announced, Strange Way of Life will likely make its world premiere sometime in 2019.