‘Bunker’ Earns 16-Minute Standing Ovation at Venice Film Festival

TDT | agencies

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Spanish stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem have received a huge response at the Venice Film Festival for their upcoming film Bunker, which earned a 16-minute standing ovation after its screening – the longest ovation for a premiere at this year’s festival so far, according to People.

Written, directed and produced by Florian Zeller, the film also features Stephen Graham, Paul Dano and Patrick Schwarzenegger.

Cruz, 52, was visibly emotional as the audience applauded the cast and crew. She and Bardem, 57, were also seen smiling, talking and laughing together during the extended ovation.

The couple, who have been married since 2010 and have two children, have appeared together in several films.

They first met while working on the 1992 film Jamon, Jamon and later began dating after reuniting for Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2008. They subsequently starred together in Loving Pablo and Everybody Knows.

In Bunker, they play a married couple whose 17-year relationship comes under strain when Bardem’s character, an architect, takes on a project to build a survivalist bunker for a technology billionaire.

The Venice Film Festival describes the movie as a dramatic thriller exploring how fears about an increasingly uncertain world affect a couple’s marriage, forcing them to confront emotional, moral and ethical dilemmas.

Zeller revealed that he wrote Bunker specifically for Cruz and Bardem, calling them the starting point and inspiration for the project and describing them as an “iconic couple.”

After its Venice premiere, Bunker is set to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival before its theatrical release later this year.

The 83rd Venice Film Festival is being held from September 2 to 12.