Penelope Cruz revealed at the Cannes press conference for “Black Ball” (La Bola Negra) on Friday that she was warned about the possibility of a brain aneurysm during the production of the film, and completed the scene the next day with permission from her doctor.
The revelation came a day after the Los Javis competition title received a 16-minute standing ovation at its premiere at the Grand Theater Lumière.
Cruz, who plays a cabaret singer in the film, said she received the news from her doctor the night before a night shoot in which her character performs in front of soldiers. “Then I was about to go out and I was wearing a wig, and they said, ‘Oh, it looks like you have a brain aneurysm,'” she said, explaining her reaction: “I thought I was going to die. This was a completely surreal event in my life.”
She said she was advised to continue the next day after her doctor confirmed she was cleared to sing and dance. Mr. Cruz described the moment as transformative. “I thought, ‘This is an absolute miracle. I have to have this inside me,'” she said.
Cruise praised the production team for supporting him throughout the ordeal, saying the experience helped him understand the character and the film’s broader themes. “We go through these things together, but despite all of this, despite the difficulties, we can move forward in life,” she said.
The actor described the film’s enthusiastic reception and sustained applause at the premiere as “one of the strongest, most powerful moments I’ve ever experienced at a festival.”
“The Black Ball,” which also stars Glenn Close, Guitarica de la Fuente, Miguel Bernardo, Laura Dueñas and Carlos González, is a Palme d’Or candidate at the Cannes Film Festival. The work is a bizarre epic covering 85 years of Spanish history, inspired by Federico García Lorca’s unfinished fragments. The film marks the Cannes competition debut for the filmmaking duo known as Los Javis, who have built an international cult following with the Veneno and La Messias series.
The film will be released in Spain on October 2 through Elastica Films.
