2 months ago
During a masterclass astatine nan Nouvelles Vagues Festival successful Biarritz, France, Penélope Cruz revealed that she will soon make her directorial debut pinch a enigma documentary feature.
Cruz, a impermanent of grant of this inaugural version of Nouvelles Vagues, took portion successful a Q&A pursuing nan French premiere of “On nan Fringe,” a commentary connected Spain’s eviction situation which she produced pinch Alvaro Longoria. Set complete nan people of 24 hours successful a moving people vicinity of Madrid, nan movie follows respective marginalized characters whose fates are intertwined arsenic they struggle financially and look eviction.
Cruz said she group up her production company, Moonlyon, pinch Laura Espeso (“The Good Boss”) and Spanish powerhouse Mediapro Studio successful 2022 to prosecute “meaningful” projects arsenic a shaper and director.
“I was telling my friend Pedro Almodóvar that ‘I really want to do this. Do you deliberation I should?’ And he ever told me, ‘Don’t wait! You should do it. If you person this feeling, you person to do it,'” said Cruz, who was dressed successful a glamorous Chanel dress, a partner of Nouvelles Vagues.
“I’ve been waiting for nan correct time, but for now I americium producing and directing a documentary that is really my passion task and it will return maine for illustration a full of 2 much years,” said Cruz, who pointed retired she had started processing it a twelvemonth ago. “This is 1 of nan things that we are processing and that I americium directing, and it’s for illustration my No. 1 point that I person to do.”
She went connected to opportunity nan “subject is very important” to her, but wouldn’t springiness further specifications astir nan documentary too nan truth that it “requires patience, clip and a batch of locations.”
“Unfortunately I cannot stock it yet, but erstwhile I will beryllium capable to I will beryllium for illustration talking non-stop astir it because I person a batch to opportunity astir it,” she said.
“On nan Fringe” marks nan characteristic debut of actor-turned-director Juan Diego Botto, a puerility friend of Cruz, who besides stars arsenic her hubby successful nan film. The film, whose formed besides includes Luis Tosar, played astatine Venice successful nan Horizons conception and received 5 nominations astatine nan Goyas, including champion character for Cruz, character for Tosar and caller head for Botto.
Cruz said nan task took years to get made. It was a “financial puzzle,” she said, partially owed to nan pandemic which put pre-production connected clasp for 2 years. Cruz brought nan task to Morena Films, pinch whom she had worked connected Julio Medem’s “Ma Ma,” which she had besides produced.
She besides praised Botto for his “level of truth and honesty” done nan making of “On nan Fringe,” which gathered a formed of non-professionals, galore of whom had first-hand experiences of eviction.
“This is simply a reality. It could hap anyplace successful nan world. People successful nan movie are existent group who person had these situations, 1 of them had 4 children … and abruptly thing went incorrect and they were successful nan streets pinch 4 kids,” said Cruz, adding that nan movie besides highlights really solidarity tin thief nan astir susceptible group flooded these difficult situations. “We cognize this movie isn’t going to alteration nan world, but we dream it tin animate and unfastened debates astir important subjects,” Cruz continued.
During nan masterclass, an assemblage personnel collapsed down successful tears arsenic she thanked Cruz for nan movie and said her comparative had besides been evicted. Cruz gave her a heartfelt hug connected her measurement retired of nan venue.
During nan conversation, Cruz besides reminisced astir her puerility and realizing she wanted to beryllium an character astatine a young age. “It was for illustration a ray wrong of me. Getting into nan shoes and nan tegument of personification other and emotion somebody’s else’s experiences… I though that was nan astir absorbing thing,” Cruz said.
Growing up, she said her family “didn’t person a batch of money,” but she discovered a passion for movies aft her parents bought a Betamax video cassette recorder. “I asked for a rank to nan video store, and that’s erstwhile it started. I would watch anything, bully movies, bad movies. When I liked a movie, I would watch it 5 times successful a statement and that’s really I sewage to cognize my favourite actors and directors, and that’s really my obsession pinch Almodóvar started,” said Cruz, who felt a “very strong, instant connection” pinch nan Spanish head upon gathering him.
She revealed that she became obsessed pinch Stephen Frears’ “Dangerous Liaisons” erstwhile she was astir 14 years old. “I sewage to cognize that movie changeable by shot. I thought it was perfection and I was very intrigued by nan full story, Valmont and nan drama,” she said. Coincidentally, nan first American movie she auditioned for was “The Hi-Lo Country,” a U.S. movie directed by Frears.
As a producer, she said she strives to “give a chance” to talent entering nan industry. “One of nan reasons why I started this escapade of a accumulation institution is to effort to support and to help,” Cruz said.
Pressed to springiness immoderate proposal to young group aspiring to activity successful nan industry, Cruz’s No. 1 extremity was “to enactment distant from drugs,” drafting laugher from nan crowd. “With that proposal you tin ne'er spell wrong!” she quipped.
Nouvelles Vagues, a show dedicated to movies astir youth, kicked disconnected connected June 28 pinch nan French premiere of Tina Satter’s “Reality,” starring Sydney Sweeney arsenic real-life American whistleblower Reality Winner.
