The London premiere

Penélope Cruz presented 'La Bola Negra' at the London Film Festival on Thursday, 8 October, alongside directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi and cast members Guitarricadelafuente and Miguel Bernardeau. According to 20 minutos, the London stop follows the film's festival tour, which took it to Cannes, Toronto and San Sebastián. Cruz plays Nené Romero, a cabaret singer who performs for soldiers of the Nationalist side, in a cameo of just over ten minutes. La Vanguardia writes that her name is being mentioned as a strong candidate for an Oscar nomination. El Periódico gives Cruz's age as 52.

A look from the archive

Cruz chose an archive suit from Ralph Lauren's spring-summer 2014 collection instead of Chanel, the house she has been an ambassador for, according to 20 minutos. La Razón describes a black two-piece with a fitted blazer with classic lapels and wide-leg trousers. Under the jacket she wore a checked shirt with cuffs showing past the sleeves and a larger-check tie worn around the neck. The runway version came with a beret in the same check, but she wore a plain black beret instead, La Razón reports. ABC says the suit was shown at New York Fashion Week in 2014, and 20 minutos puts the outfit at 12 years old. La Vanguardia describes her hair as wavy with hazel highlights.

Cruz on housing

On the red carpet, Cruz was asked about housing, which El Periódico describes as one of the issues that most concerns Spanish society. She answered with a statement that started with praise for the young people who have taken to the streets.

“It is admirable how many young people are on the street, fighting and asking, not only for themselves and their families, but for others.”

She then acknowledged her own position.

“We are aware that we are answering from a place of privilege, but, precisely for that reason, you cannot stay silent.”

She added that public figures have the same stake in the debate.

“We have exactly the same right and the same obligation to take part in this debate and denounce something that cannot be allowed.”

The film behind her remarks

Cruz said the film 'En los márgenes', directed by Juan Diego Botto, had marked her deeply. In it she plays Azucena, a supermarket cashier and mother facing an imminent eviction, over a 24-hour countdown. El Periódico reports that during filming the cast spent many months close to people who had been left on the street with very young children. She recalled one mother whose child had cancer and had been fighting the disease for ten years.

The film and its box office

'La Bola Negra', directed by Calvo and Ambrossi, is inspired by an unfinished play Federico García Lorca wrote in 1936 and follows three gay men in 1932, 1937 and 2017. La Vanguardia reports that the film has raised more than 15 million euros and reached more than two million people. 20 minutos gives a different figure of 14.89 million euros in Spanish cinemas. Europa Press says the film is aiming for Best International Feature at the Oscars, with the ceremony on 14 March 2027. 20 minutos names Adapted Screenplay, Original Score and Supporting Actor among the categories in which the film is seen as a contender, and reports that many see Cruz as a candidate for Best Supporting Actress nominations.