Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem defend speaking out on politics at Venice Film Festival

The couple says artists have a responsibility to use their platforms to address matters affecting the world

Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem have defended their decision to speak publicly about political and social issues, saying artists have a responsibility to use their platforms to address matters affecting the world around them.

The Spanish actors addressed their political activism while attending the 83rd Venice Film Festival on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, where they premiered their new film Bunker. The couple, who are married in real life, star opposite each other in the psychological drama directed by Florian Zeller.

Bardem was asked during a press conference why he and Cruz continue to speak openly about their political beliefs, including their support for Gaza.

The actor said that people from all professions have the right to express their views on issues they consider important. He acknowledged, however, that public figures have greater resources and reach because of their platforms.

Bardem also linked his views to the themes explored in Bunker, which centres on fear, isolation, power and the way people perceive those they consider different. He suggested that the film raises questions about how much people are willing to understand and empathise with others before fear and preconceived ideas lead to isolation.

Cruz similarly argued that remaining silent would be difficult given the subject matter of their new film. She said it would be contradictory to discuss the themes explored in Bunker while avoiding the political and social issues reflected in the story.

In Bunker, Bardem plays an architect whose life changes after he accepts a job designing a luxury survival bunker for a wealthy technology billionaire. The project begins to affect his relationship with his wife, played by Cruz, while raising wider questions about inequality, social isolation and the fears surrounding an increasingly uncertain world.

The film explores the growing desire among wealthy individuals to prepare for potential societal collapse by retreating into private spaces. Zeller uses the bunker as a metaphor for isolation and the growing disconnect between powerful individuals and wider society.

Cruz and Bardem's appearance in Venice also marked another major on-screen collaboration between the couple. They have worked together several times over the course of their careers, but their latest film brings their real-life relationship into a story focused heavily on marriage, trust and emotional distance.

The political discussion comes during a particularly outspoken Venice Film Festival, where several filmmakers and actors have used press conferences and red-carpet appearances to discuss international conflicts, human rights and political developments. The festival has seen growing attention around the relationship between cinema and political expression, with artists arguing that filmmaking cannot always be separated from the realities surrounding it.

For Cruz and Bardem, the conversation surrounding Bunker therefore extends beyond the film itself. Their comments in Venice underline their belief that actors can use their visibility to address issues they consider important, while the film provides a fictional setting to examine many of the same anxieties affecting society today.

Bunker is scheduled to continue its festival run before its theatrical release. The film is also set to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival, with a theatrical release planned for December 10.