Penelope Cruz looked stunning in a floral dress as she took a water taxi with her husband Javier Bardem in Venice on Wednesday.
The actress, 52, and actor, 57, are in town to promote their joint project, which had a glittering premiere in Sala Grande on Tuesday.
The Hollywood couple left the ultra-luxury Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort, the historic heart of the festival since 1932.
She waved to fans next to her husband, who cut a casually cool figure in a beige shirt and pants.
Penelope burst into tears as her new film Bunker received the longest standing ovation yet at the 2026 Venice Film Festival.
After watching the film, the audience stood for a fifteen and a half minute standing ovation.
Penelope Cruz looked stunning in a floral dress as she took a water taxi with her husband Javier Bardem in Venice on Wednesday
The actress, 52, and actor, 57, are in town to promote their joint project, which had a glittering premiere in Sala Grande on Tuesday
Overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response, Penelope began sobbing uncontrollably as Javier comforted her.
Director Florian Zeller made sure his main couple had their moment in the spotlight by grabbing their hands and pulling them in front of the audience.
Javier then sweetly stepped aside and gestured to his wife, who looked stunning in a custom red Chanel dress by Matthieu Blazy, as the audience continued to applaud.
The lengthy response to Bunker is just two minutes shy of the longest standing ovation in the recent history of the Venice Film Festival: a seventeen-minute applause for The Room Next Door in 2024.
This year’s festival has led to a series of lengthy ovations. Last week, John Malkovich was in tears as his Oscar-winning film Wild Horse Nine received a thirteen-minute ovation.
Primetime, directed by Lance Oppenheim and starring Robert Pattinson and Bucking Fastard, Werner Herzog’s drama starring Kate and Rooney Mara, both received seven-minute ovations.
Bunker marks the ninth time Penelope and Javier have teamed up on screen and the film is already receiving rave reviews, including a four-star write-up from the Daily Mail’s Brian Viner.
In the psychological thriller, the pair play married couple Sofia and Miguel.
AArchitect Miguel’s 17-year marriage comes under strain after he accepts a morally ambiguous project to build a survival bunker for a technology billionaire (Paul Dano).
Meanwhile, Sofia begins working with an American novelist, Jeremy Gray (Patrick Schwarzenegger).
The Hollywood couple left the ultra-luxury Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort, the historic heart of the festival since 1932
She waved to fans next to her husband, who cut a casually cool figure in a beige shirt and pants
Penelope and Javier have been married for 16 years and have son Leo, 15, and daughter Luna, 13
They first met in 1992 on the set of the Spanish film Jamon Jamon, when Penelope was 17 and Javier 23.
Penelope burst into tears as her new film Bunker received the longest standing ovation yet at the 2026 Venice Film Festival
Bunker marks the ninth time Penelope and Javier have teamed up on screen and is already receiving critical acclaim, including a four-star write-up from the Daily Mail’s Brian Viner.
Penelope and Javier have been married for sixteen years and have son Leo, 15, and daughter Luna, 13.
They first met in 1992 on the set of the Spanish film Jamon Jamon, when Penelope was 17 and Javier 23.
Although they played romantic interests in the film, they did not start dating until 15 years later when they were reunited on the set of the 2008 film Vicky Cristina Barcelona, for which Penelope won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
In May, Javier shared that since the birth of their first child, he and Penelope have made sure at least one of them is home all the time when they take on acting roles.
The star praised his wife, adding that he feels “blessed” to have “had the opportunity to be at the same time, in the same place in life” as her.
He said: “I have no obligations in my contract related to larger trailers or luxury suites.
‘The only thing I do make sure is that I am not away from my family more than two weeks.’
Javier further told Variety, “Penelope is an amazing, beautiful, good person — the way she relates to her family, to her friends, to our children, to me, to herself. It’s been many years, and I haven’t seen a trace of malice in her.’
‘Besides, she’s incredibly beautiful! When I see her photographed in some magazines, I think, ‘Is that my wife? Jesus, right? It must be so.’
