eb an ' s ▁trans gender ▁mother , ▁L ola ▁( T oni ▁Cant ó ), ▁and ▁notify ▁her ▁about ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁the ▁son ▁she ▁never ▁knew ▁she ▁had . ▁Al ong ▁the ▁way ▁Man uela ▁enc oun ters ▁an ▁old ▁friend , ▁Agr ado ▁( Ant onia ▁San ▁Juan ), ▁and ▁meets ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁pre gn ant ▁nun , ▁Rosa ▁( P en é lo pe ▁Cruz ). ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁revis ited ▁Al mod ó var ' s ▁familiar ▁them es ▁of ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁sister hood ▁and ▁of ▁family . ▁Al mod ó var ▁shot ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁in ▁Barcelona ▁and ▁used ▁l ush ▁colors ▁to ▁emphas ise ▁the ▁rich ness ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁D edic ated ▁to ▁B ette ▁Davis , ▁Rom y ▁Schne ider ▁and ▁G ena ▁Row lands , ▁All ▁About ▁My ▁Mother ▁is ▁ste ep ed ▁in ▁the atr ical ity , ▁from ▁its ▁back stage ▁setting ▁to ▁its ▁plot , ▁mode led ▁on ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁Feder ico ▁García ▁Lor ca ▁and ▁Tennessee ▁Williams , ▁to ▁the ▁characters ' ▁pre occupation ▁with ▁modes ▁of ▁performance . ▁Al mod ó var ▁inser ts ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁references ▁to ▁American ▁cinema . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁film ' s ▁key ▁scenes , ▁where ▁Man uela ▁watch es ▁her ▁son ▁die , ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁John ▁Cass av etes ' ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁film ▁Open ing ▁Night . ▁The ▁film ' s ▁title ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁nod ▁to ▁All ▁About ▁E ve ,