With a Golden Bear for Spanish director Carla Simon and four compatriots nominated for Oscars, including superstars Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, Spanish cinema has now begun to captivate a global audience.
When Bardem and Cruz, who have been married for over a decade, were both tapped for Oscars, the 53-year-old actor could hardly contain his excitement.
“The fact that (Penelope’s) nomination was for a role in Spanish. seems really extraordinary, even historic in terms of the Spanish brand,” he said in February