Penélope Cruz: "My priority is to raise my children"

We could nickname her “Speedy Penélope”, because everything always goes fast with Penélope Cruz, 45 years old. While in Paris, she only has a few hours to meet the journalists about "Cuban Network", the new film by Olivier Assayas in which she plays - formidably - the Cuban wife of a man which she discovers is a spy. We find her in a Parisian palace around a coffee, and even if she has to be quick, she does not forget to mention Pedro Almodovar, her old friend who recently made her play her mother in "Pain and Glory" ...

Who is Olga, this Cuban mother that you interpret in "Cuban Network"?

PENÉLOPE CRUZ. Her husband disappears to flee to the United States, and for a long time she does not know if she has been betrayed, abandoned. She remains alone in Cuba with her children, and she has to face everything. Later, when she understands what really happened, she forgives him. This is the great strength of Olivier Assayas' scenario: he made a spy film by dealing with an aspect that you never see, the private life and the daily life of spies, their spouses, what they are faced. Far from the clichés, "Cuban Network" shows that a spy is not necessarily James Bond, but an ordinary person, who has a family life. He has to deal with, while he is embarked incognito on very dangerous missions where he assumes a double identity and leads a double life. So, it's also a love story that is at the heart of the film.

How was filming in Cuba?

It is generally very complicated to shoot there, it requires a lot of permits, with uncertainties at stake. We were lucky, and I settled for three weeks in this country that I did not know. For me, it was important, it allowed me to find myself in contact with the population, to meet Cubans and to ask them questions about their daily life.

What did you ask the Cubans for?

I had thousands of questions about the weight of politics, especially geopolitics, about their everyday life. I got answers on some points, but on others, I understood that people were nervous about talking to me about politics, about the regime.

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From this point of view, was it a complicated shoot?

I would not say that, the generosity of the Cubans is so immense. I had nevertheless inquired beforehand about the country from my Cuban friends in Spain. In Cuba, contact is easy, but there are certain subjects that you cannot discuss with the locals. But I still learned a lot from them, and since then I have felt a lot of affection for the Cubans. They opened their doors to us at all times ... They have this generosity and a lot of joy in them. But they have to face a difficult reality on a daily basis, and I understand that they do not have real freedom of speech, like many other people in other countries elsewhere. I'm sorry that this kind of situation still exists in 2020.

Penélope Cruz plays the role of Olga Salanueva, who discovers that her husband is a spy.Memento Films Distribution

Did you like working with Olivier Assayas?

First, it brought together a team that I loved, a “Latin mix” that I liked. I was filming with real friends like Gael Garcia Bernal and Edgard Ramirez. With Olga, he gave me a very nice role. He is a great filmmaker, both in his way of directing the actors and in staging a story. He has an amazing sense of realism: when you watch some of his after-the-fact movies, like this one, you feel like you're watching a documentary.

You shot your sixth film with Pedro Almodovar, "Pain and Glory", which was nominated for an Oscar. Pedro and you, is it for life?

Ah yes ! I still hope to make many films with him. I always say "yes" before I even read his scripts, I trust him 100%. Pedro is a genius, someone to whom I am very close and whom I deeply love. Realize: in "Pain and glory", he made me play his mother! What an honor… and what a responsibility! I knew her, it helped me. She loved Pedro so much…

Have you approached your career differently since you had children ( Editor's note: Leo, 9, and Luna, 6, whom she had with Javier Bardem )?

Yes. Before their birth, I made at least four films a year, but since then I have limited myself to one or two. Raising them has become my priority, but I also have to work, I love my job so much. I also choose my roles according to the dates and locations, to give more time to my family.

What will be your next film?

I'm going to shoot a comedy in the spring where I share the poster with Antonio Banderas, but I can't tell you more…

Is the #MeToo phenomenon as sensitive in Spain as in the United States?

I am very aware and vigilant on the subject, but I refuse to speak for the actresses only: for me, harassment must be considered from the point of view of all women. This happens to all trades and to mothers. I believe that in Spain, as elsewhere, we are only at the beginning, we will have to be more and more vigilant. I feel close to the organization Time's Up, which fights to provide legal representation to all women - and men - who experience harassment in the course of their work or their daily lives.