About

Academy Award®-winning actress and producer Penélope Cruz delivers an extraordinarily emotional performance in ma ma, the newest film from acclaimed director Julio Medem (SEX AND LUCÍA). Honoring the high melodrama of Pedro Almodóvar and Douglas Sirk, ma ma follows Magda (Cruz) as she experiences tragedies and miracles alike. Just as Magda is diagnosed with breast cancer, she meets Arturo (Luis Tosar), a devoted husband and father in the midst of unspeakable loss. Their chance encounter leads both down a path of strength, grace, love, and rebirth.

Penélope Cruz - Magda

Penélope Cruz was born in Madrid in 1974. She did her first feature film in 1990, EL LABERINTO DEL GRIEGO (THE GREEK LABYRINTH), directed by Rafael Alcázar and 2 years later her career catapulted with the success of JAMÓN, JAMÓN. Since then her career has been meteoric: in the 1990’s she starred in LA CELESTINA by Gerardo Vera and in the comedy EL AMOR PERJUDICA GRAVEMENTE LA SALUD (LOVE CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH) by Manuel Gómez Pereira; in 1997 an opportunity arose in her first Almodóvar film, CARNE TRÉMULA (LIVE FLESH), and 2 years later she officially became the actress of the moment thanks to the film by Alejandro Amenábar, ABRE LOS OJOS (OPEN YOUR EYES, 1997) and LA NIÑA DE TUS OJOS (THE GIRL OF YOUR DREAMS) by Fernando Trueba. Thanks to the Oscar-winning film by Almodóvar Todo, SOBRE MI MADRE (ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, 1999), Penélope received international notoriety and began her Hollywood career, where she was cast in ALL THE PRETTY HORSES by Billy Bob Thornton, costarring Matt Damon. She also participated in the remake of ABRE LOS OJOS, VANILLA SKY, with Tom Cruise. Her next collaboration with Almodóvar was in VOLVER (2006), for which she won best actress at Cannes and was nominated for an Oscar. For VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, directed by Woody Allen in 2007, she won her first Oscar for best actress and in 2009 she worked again with Almodóvar in LOS ABRAZOS ROTOS (BROKEN EMBRACES). In NINE (2009), she was nominated for an Oscar for a third time and in 2010 she had a small role in SEX AND THE CITY 2. The Italian film TWICE BORN by Sergio Castellitto premiered at the beginning of 2013 and she was also in THE COUNSELOR that same year with Ridley Scott.

Luis Tosar - Arturo

Born in 1971 in Lugo Spain, he began his career in 1994 in his native home of Galicia acting in short films and TV series, since then he has worked as an actor in film, television, and theater, and has worked as a producer as well. His film work is extensive and varied, his notable film work includes: MONDAYS IN THE SUN (2002) by Fernando León, for which he won the Goya for best actor; TE DOY MIS OJOS (TAKE MY EYES) by Icíar Bollaín (2003), for which he won the Goya for best actor and the Silver Shell at the Festival in San Sebastián; following this he joined independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch in THE LIMITS OF CONTROL, and later CELL 211 (2009) directed by Daniel Monzón, for which he won best actor at the Goya’s for the second time. He was nominated for many awards for the film EVEN THE RAIN, also directed by Icíar Bollaín. Last year, he formed part of the cast of the box-office success EL NIÑO, where he worked with Daniel Monzón once again, and MUSARAÑAS, a thrilled directed by Juan Fernando Andrés and Esteban Roel.

Asier Etxeandia - Julián

Born in 1975 in Bilbao, he left País Vasco after studying acting and moved to Madrid where the opportunity came for him to work on a TV series Un paso adelante. Since then, Asier has developed a career as an actor in film, television, and theater. He joined the cast of Herederos, Paco ́s Men, and Love is Forever, and he triumphed in his role as Raúl de la Riva in Velvet (2014- ). In film his prominent work includes CAFÉ SOLO O CON ELLAS (2006) by Alvaro Díaz Lorenzo, THE THIRTEEN ROSES (2007) by Emilio Martínez Lázaro, and MENTIRAS Y GORDAS (2008) by Alfonso Albacete. His theater work is extensive including Cabaret, where he acted from 2003 until 2005, A Midsummer ́s Night Dream (2006-2007) directed by Tamzin Towshend, La Chunga (2013) directed by Aitana Sánchez Gijón, and the spectacle The Interpreter, which has been a hit since 2013.

Julio Medem - Writer / Director

Julio Medem was born in San Sebastián-Donostia in 1958. He received his Bachelor ́s Degree in Medicine and General Surgery in the University of País Vasco. Since his studies, he has developed a career in film, publicity, and as a writer as well. Since the beginning of his journey Julio’s work has been recognized in first tier film festivals on a national and international scale. Some of his feature length films are: VACAS (COWS, 1992, writer and director), which won the Goya Prize for best new director and was nominated for best screenplay; LA ARDILLA ROJA (THE RED SQUIRREL, 1993), which he wrote and directed, premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, where he won the youth prize, the public prize, and the best foreign film; TIERRA (1996, writer and director), which premiered in the official selection at Cannes and won the special jury prize in the Festival of Sao Paolo; LOS AMANTES DEL CÍRCULO POLAR (LOVERS OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, 1998, writer and director), which premiered in Venice and was selected at Sundance, Toronto, Karlovy Vary, and won best picture at the Brussels Film Festival; LUCIA Y EL SEXO (SEX AND LUCÍA, 2001, writer and director) premiered in Toronto and was selected in London and Paris Film Festivals and received the Emerging Masters award and the Public Prize of Best Director at the Seattle Film Festival; ROOM IN ROME (2010, script adaptation, director, and editor), which is based on the book En la cama, de Matías Biche, which premiered in the Málaga Film Festival; 7 DAYS IN HABANA (short film LA TENTACIÓN DE CECILIA, 2012, writer and director), which premiered in Cannes and was selected in the Habana Film Festival and at San Sebastián.

His noteworthy documentaries include LA PELOTA VASCA, LA PIEL CONTRA LA PIEDRA (2003, writer, director, editor, and producer), which won the award for best documentary film in Guadalajara Film Festival (Mexico) and was also nominated for a Goya for best documentary film; and 1% ESQUIZOFRENIA (2006). He is also the author of the historic novel Aspasia, amante de Atenas (2012) published by Espasa-Planeta.

Screenings

No Screenings at this time...

Press

  • "Cruz looks radiant throughout and makes Magda a heroic figure."Allan Hunter, Screen Daily
  • "Penelope Cruz is the wellspring of all womanly virtues."Dennis Harvey, Variety
  • "One of Penelope Cruz's finest performances." Jonathan Holland, The Hollywood Reporter

Contact

For press inquiries, please contact:
Oscilloscope Laboratories Sydney Tanigawa
212-219-4029 ext. 41
[email protected]
New York
Scott Feinstein
212-413-0806
[email protected]
Los Angeles
Max Muschman
310-477-4442
[email protected]

For booking inquiries, please contact:
Andrew Carlin
Oscilloscope Laboratories
630-445-1215
[email protected]

For all other inquiries, please contact:
[email protected]