▁the ▁work ▁of ▁many ▁different ▁artists ▁and ▁gen res ▁in ▁his ▁work ; ▁sometimes ▁works ▁have ▁been ▁referenced ▁diag et ically ▁or ▁ev oked ▁through ▁less ▁direct ▁methods . ▁Al mod ó var ▁has ▁addition ally ▁made ▁self - re ferences ▁to ▁films ▁within ▁his ▁own ▁o e uv re . ▁ ▁Working ▁with ▁some ▁of ▁Spain ' s ▁best - known ▁actress es ▁including ▁Car men ▁Ma ura , ▁Victoria ▁Abr il , ▁Mar isa ▁P ared es ▁and ▁Pen é lo pe ▁Cruz , ▁Al mod ó var ▁has ▁become ▁famous ▁for ▁his ▁female - cent ric ▁films , ▁his ▁" sym path etic ▁port ray als ▁of ▁women " ▁and ▁his ▁elev ation ▁of ▁" the ▁hum d rum ▁spaces ▁of ▁over work ed ▁women ". ▁He ▁was ▁heavily ▁influenced ▁by ▁classic ▁Hollywood ▁films ▁in ▁which ▁everything ▁happens ▁around ▁a ▁female ▁main ▁character , ▁and ▁a ims ▁to ▁continue ▁in ▁that ▁tradition . ▁Al mod ó var ▁has ▁frequently ▁spoken ▁about ▁how ▁he ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁powerful ▁women ▁in ▁his ▁child hood : ▁" W omen ▁were ▁very ▁happy , ▁worked ▁hard ▁and ▁always ▁spoke . ▁They ▁handed ▁me ▁the ▁first ▁sens ations ▁and ▁for ged ▁my ▁character . ▁The ▁woman ▁represented ▁everything ▁to ▁me , ▁the ▁man ▁was ▁absent ▁and ▁represented ▁authority . ▁I ▁never ▁identified ▁with ▁the ▁male ▁figure : ▁mat ern ity ▁insp ires ▁me ▁more ▁than ▁pat ern ity ". ▁ ▁His ▁port ray al ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁his ▁films ▁have ▁been ▁adm ired ▁by ▁most