We saw it as a team: Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz as a couple and for the first time in competition at Cannes!

On Saturday, May 16 in Cannes, Javier Bardem defended “The Loved One,” by Spanish director Rodrigo Sorogoyen. He plays Esteban, a renowned filmmaker trying to reconnect with his actress daughter Emilia, whom he hasn’t seen in ten years, by offering her a major role in his new film. But the reunion proves to be more than tense. Two other Spanish films are in competition, including “La Bola Negra” by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, which stars Penelope Cruz, Bardem’s wife and mother of their two children. It is a significant milestone for the couple, who met in 1992 on a movie set.

“It’s funny, but mostly we are very honored to represent Spain in Cannes this year. We see it as a team effort, even though each of us obviously wants our film to be appreciated. But now, the moment has come when Spanish cinema is becoming prominent, and it’s a sign that these three films are in competition,” Bardem candidly shared with Le Parisien on May 16.

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem were married in 2010 in the Bahamas. They recently collaborated on the film “Bunker” by French director Florian Zeller in Spain. Bardem expressed his enjoyment of working with Cruz and Zeller, praising Zeller’s precision with dialogue in each scene. Their love story began on film sets, where they first met during the 1992 Spanish drama “Jamon, Jamon” by Bigas Luna. However, it was in 2007 on the set of Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” that their relationship blossomed, leading to marriage three years later in the Bahamas.

Javier Bardem famously declared his love for Penelope Cruz in Cannes: “To my friend, my love” in 2011. They welcomed their son Leonardo on January 22, 2011, and two years later, their daughter Luna. Bardem emphasized the deep love he feels as a parent and the pain he experiences when away from his children for more than two weeks. Despite usually staying out of the spotlight to protect their relationship, Bardem publicly expressed his love for Cruz at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010, dedicating an award to her and referencing their first meeting in 1992 as a pivotal moment in their relationship.