Venice Film Festival: Bardem and Cruz in 'Bunker', Guadagnino Honored

At the Venice Film Festival on September 8, 2026, the spotlight was on Spanish actors Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, who star in the psychological thriller 'Bunker' by French director Florian Zeller, presented in competition. The film follows a couple married for 17 years: she works at a publishing house, and he is a famous architect who agrees to design a bunker for a powerful tech billionaire who wants to remain anonymous. Bardem and Cruz, married since 2010, have previously acted together multiple times. Also in competition, Casey Affleck presented 'Company', a mystery set on a winter night in 1975, where a mysterious woman named Evelyn arrives uninvited at a party and recounts the story of an elderly man who, in 1953, saved an actress stranded during a snowstorm in Colorado. Director Luca Guadagnino, recipient of the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker award, screened out of competition his anticipated 435-minute documentary 'Joie de vivre' dedicated to Bernardo Bertolucci. Maggie Gyllenhaal, this year's jury president, also presented 'Flesh Impact' out of competition. In the Orizzonti section, 'Una storia' by Anna Foglietta, starring Alba Rohrwacher and Guido Caprino, was shown. The event highlights the festival's diverse lineup, blending star power with auteur cinema.