Ingrid and Martha have been close friends since their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter. Eventually, they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme situation. Martha is in the hospital fighting a battle with cancer. Her illness is serious: she’s undergoing a highly experimental immunotherapy treatment, but her chances are slim. She wants to find a house upstate and end her life in peace – but she wants Ingrid to come with her, and to be in the room next door when it happens.
"People talk a lot in my films. Among all the narrative elements, it is the actors who really tell the story. In The Room Next Door Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore carry the weight of the whole film on their shoulders, and they are a spectacle. I have been fortunate in that both give a veritable recital. At times during shooting, both the crew and I were on the verge of tears watching them. It was a very moving shoot and, in some way, blessed." (Pedro Almodovar)