Spanish stars Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem participated in a photoshoot for the film 'Bunker,' which is featured in the competition program of the 83rd Venice Film Festival. These spouses play a couple experiencing a midlife crisis in their latest joint project, emphasizing that the plot has no connection to their real lives.
This star duo, who first appeared together in the film 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' in 2008, portrays a wealthy married couple in London struggling to manage two careers in a foreign city. The film, directed by French director Florian Zeller, whose premiere took place at the Venice Film Festival, is also a sharp critique of Silicon Valley tech billionaires, which attracted the actors.
When asked if anything in their on-screen portrayals resembled their personal relationship, Bardem replied: 'Nothing. We are really good at creating fiction and reality. Otherwise, we wouldn't survive in this job.'
He plays a star architect who is offered a lucrative project to design an underground bunker for a Silicon Valley billionaire. This plot is inspired by how Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg is building a complex in Hawaii, according to Zeller.
Cruz noted that she was drawn to her character's disdain for the tech billionaires behind social networks and artificial intelligence, who envision a future where humans are replaced by computers and robots. She wondered: 'I wonder if they lack some gene that causes them to lose empathy?'
Cruz added: 'I hope young people are starting to realize they are being manipulated, and I hope they will react because they are very smart.'
The actress shared that she and her husband, who have starred together in about ten films, have always had to find a balance between work and family life. She stated: 'We both love this profession very much. But the truth is that there is a good balance in terms of how much you talk about work.'
The 52-year-old actress highly praised Zeller's script, which addresses themes such as isolation and xenophobia, as well as his work as a director of the couple during 'big arguments in the film and some emotional scenes.' She explained: 'I am very grateful to Florian because he always observed us, always felt and saw everything, and without interference, he was a real protection for us in that way.'
Cruz and Bardem last appeared on screen together in the Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's film 'All We Know' in 2018.