“A face fallen from the sky,
a face from ancient times”

monDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2018

Spanish actor Javier Bardem confirms his attendance at Lumière 2018. He will receive a tribute, joining all those who honor us with their presence for Lumière festival. We are very happy to welcome him to Lyon for the first time.

Born in Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Javier Bardem comes from a long line of artists and actors. He is also the nephew of filmmaker and screenwriter Juan Bardem, a director in Franco’s Spain, who shot Death of a Cyclist (1955) and Main Street (1956).

After starting out at age 20 in The Ages of Lulu by Bigas Luna, Bardem is noticed by Pedro Almodóvar, who gives him a small role in High Heels. The young actor continues his loyal collaboration with Bigas Luna, who gives him roles that explore a wide range of characters. With his breakout role in the jubilatory Jamón, Jamón (1992) alongside Penelope Cruz, he attains renown in Spain and elsewhere. His popularity grows rapidly and he wins a Best Actor award at the Goyas in 1996 for his role as Victor Ventura in Mouth to Mouth. But it is his phenomenal performance in Pedro Almodóvar's Live Flesh that earns him critical acclaim and cements his place among the greatest actors in the history of cinema.

Biutiful of Alejandro González Iñárritu (2010)

On the edge in Julian Schnabel's Antes que anochezca, which explores the fate of homosexuals in Cuba, Bardem travels through a myriad of filmmakers, all chosen for their style and their spirit, fueling his acting with infinite nuances. His performance in Alejandro Amenábar's The Sea Inside, a critical and public success, marks a turning point in his career. Bardem goes on to work under the direction of Michael Mann (Collateral), Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Milos Forman (Goya’s Ghosts) or Mike Newell (Love in the Time of Cholera). Meanwhile, he films Biutiful with Alejandro González Iñárritu in Barcelona, for which he garners a Best Actor award in Cannes.

With the officially selected No Country for Old Men by the Coen brothers, Javier Bardem finds himself again at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008. He also becomes the first Spanish actor to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. In the movie, he plays the unforgettable and terrifying Anton, a psychopathic killer with a creepy hairstyle. "I don’t know how to drive, I don’t speak English well and I hate violence," he had initially told the Coens in order to discourage them. "That's exactly why we want you!" they replied.

No Country for Old Men of Ethan et Joel Coen (2008)

"A face fallen from the sky, a face from ancient times" is how Alejandro González Iñárritu describes Bardem. A minotaur with savage strength, Bardem is set to embody the character of conquistador Hernán Cortés in a mini-series. He has also been seen in Hollywood blockbusters (Skyfall, Pirates of the Caribbean) or being led by a director like Darren Aronofsky in the outrageous Mother!, while maintaining his trademark integrity. He has also displayed this integrity in various battles, proving both his discreet nature and commitment to causes.

This past May, Bardem starred with his wife Penelope Cruz and Argentinian actor Ricardo Darín in Everybody Knows by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi. The film was screened at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival and has been seen by over 800,000 French moviegoers to date.

Everybody Knows is currently being shown at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Bardem gave an interview to Pablo Scholz of the Argentinian daily Clarín: "Men must learn to get rid of the culture of machismo in which they were raised, and not just in Spain," he declared. "Between women and men, there’s no equality in terms of wages or rights. Things are changing and it's a giant step forward. It's not just a passing fad."

He also said, (perfectly appropriate for a festival that seeks to underline how going to the movies is a sacred act): "Cinema is something very close to religion. Being in a movie theater is like being in a church."

Additionally, Bardem, in his second collaboration with Fernando Leon de Aranoa, is producing and starring in Loving Pablo, alongside Cruz. The film made its world premiere in the Venice Film Festival and premieres October 5^th in North America. Loving Pablo follows the true story of a dramatic love affair between the notorious Pablo Escobar, and Colombian journalist, Virginia Vallejo. Bardem has long been passionate about taking on the role of Pablo Escobar and was particularly drawn to the intimacy, closeness and depth of Virginia’s point of view— bringing to light the man and the person behind the world’s most iconic and feared drug lords. Loving Pablo deftly underscores Escobar’s defiant impact on not only Columbia, but the rest of the world with gripping honesty.

In addition to his illustrious career, Bardem is a human rights advocate. In October 2011, Bardem co-produced and starred in Sons of the Clouds: The Last Colony, a film documenting how the colonization of the Western Sahara has left nearly 200,000 people living in refugee camps. Bardem and his co-producer Alvaro Longoria, the film’s director, addressed the United Nations General Assembly’s decolonization committee, urging the delegates to end human rights abuses in the region.

Upon his arrival in Lyon, Javier Bardem will meet festivalgoers at the Comédie Odéon to deliver a masterclass. He will also introduce the following films: Live Flesh by Pedro Almodóvar (Carne trémula, 1997), Mondays in the Sun by Fernando León de Aranoa (Los lunes al sol, 2002), No Country for Old Men by Ethan and Joel Coen (2007), Biutiful by Alejandro González Iñárritu (2010) and Everybody Knows by Asghar Farhadi (Todos lo saben, 2018).

In partnership with: Memento Films, ARP Sélection, Tamasa, Mary X Distribution,
Le Petit Bureau

Meet Javier Bardem on Monday, October 15 at the Comédie Odéon at 2:45pm

Javier Bardem will also introduce
Everybody Knows on Sunday, October 14 at the Pathé Vaise at 3pm
Mondays in the Sun on Sunday, October 14 at the Institut Lumière at 4:45pm
Biutiful on Sunday, October 14 at the Pathé Bellecour at 8pm
Live Flesh on Monday, October 15 at the Lumière Terreaux at 2:45pm
No Country for Old Men on Monday, October 15 at the UGC Ciné Cité Confluence at 8:30pm