Penélope Cruz received the TIFF Special Tribute Award on Sunday night at the Toronto International Film Festival, turning her tribute into an expression of gratitude toward the people who have supported her throughout her career, from those who believed in her early on to the filmmakers who later offered her a wide range of distinct roles.
The gala also honored Helen Mirren, Seth Rogen, Isabelle Huppert, Fan Bingbing, South Korean director Lee Chang-dong, actress Rosalind Eleazar, filmmaker Siân Heder, director Bassam Tariq and cinematographer Adam Pietkiewicz.
Speaking to EFE on the red carpet, Cruz said an award like this one was always a chance to thank everyone who had been there from the beginning, who had trusted her and given her interesting characters that did not resemble one another, or resemble her.
Putting a decades-long career in perspective
Cruz said recognitions like this one also helped put a career spanning decades into perspective, though she was careful not to frame it as a celebration of herself alone. She said it was not really about her, adding that this was simply not the reality of it.
The 52-year-old actress said that if she could speak to the version of herself from 25 years ago, she would advise her not to forget to rest from time to time, a lesson she admitted she still struggles to put into practice. She said she knew the theory well but that the practice was a disaster.
Cruz said she held incredible memories of TIFF, a festival she is returning to this year with two films she described as very special: "Bunker" and "La bola negra."
Directors and collaborators pay tribute
Among those celebrating her recognition were the directors of "La bola negra," Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi.
On the TIFF red carpet, Calvo described Cruz to EFE as a superstar and pointed to the international scale of her career. He said that traveling abroad and seeing the respect, admiration and affection people had for Penélope was striking, noting that wherever you go, people know her.
Calvo also recalled advice Cruz once gave him when he asked what it took to build a lasting career. She told him to keep being good people, saying that was the only thing that mattered, which Calvo said spoke volumes about her.
A reunion with John Madden
British director John Madden, who directed Cruz 25 years ago in "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," also attended the gala hoping to reconnect with her after a long time apart. The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the world's major film festivals, held annually in Toronto, Canada, and known for showcasing both international cinema and awards-season contenders.
Madden told EFE that Cruz had had a wonderful career that kept growing and expanding, calling her absolutely incredible and saying she could do anything.
The director recalled that, at the time they worked together, he had advised her not to think she needed to build her entire career outside Spain, urging her instead to stay connected to her roots. He said he remembered telling her 25 years ago not to assume she had to do everything abroad, and that she needed to return to her base, to her roots, because that was where she would keep growing and enriching her work over time.
Madden did not hide his wish to work with her again, saying he would love to direct her once more, that he adored her, and that he considered her extraordinary.
