▁film maker , ▁and ▁the ▁tra ged y ▁that ▁took ▁his ▁sight . ▁A ▁key ▁figure ▁in ▁Ca ine ' s ▁past ▁is ▁the ▁L ena ▁( P en é lo pe ▁Cruz ), ▁an ▁asp iring ▁actress ▁who ▁gets ▁em bro iled ▁in ▁a ▁love ▁triangle ▁with ▁Ca ine ▁and ▁a ▁par ano id ▁million aire , ▁Ern esto ▁( J os é ▁Luis ▁Gó mez ). ▁The ▁film ▁has ▁a ▁complex ▁structure , ▁mixing ▁past ▁and ▁present ▁and ▁film ▁within ▁a ▁film . ▁Al mod ó var ▁previously ▁used ▁this ▁type ▁of ▁structure ▁in ▁T alk ▁to ▁Her ▁and ▁Bad ▁Education . ▁ ▁Jose ▁Luis ▁Al ca ine ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁production , ▁so ▁Al mod ó var ▁h ired ▁Mexican ▁cinemat ograph er ▁Rod r igo ▁Pri eto ▁to ▁shoot ▁the ▁film . ▁Dist inct ive ▁sh ading ▁and ▁sh adows ▁help ▁to ▁differenti ate ▁the ▁various ▁time ▁periods ▁within ▁Bro ken ▁Em bra ces , ▁as ▁Al mod ó var ' s ▁narr ative ▁j umps ▁between ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 0 0 s . ▁ ▁Bro ken ▁Em bra ces ▁was ▁accepted ▁into ▁the ▁main ▁selection ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁C annes ▁Film ▁Festival ▁in ▁competition ▁for ▁the ▁Pal me ▁d ' Or , ▁his ▁third ▁film ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁and ▁fourth ▁to ▁screen ▁at ▁the ▁festival . ▁The ▁film ▁earned ▁£ 3 0 ▁million ▁world wide , ▁and ▁was ▁nominated