Cruz: New film shows horror of war

Penelope Cruz said she hoped her new film Twice Born would give people pause for thought about the reality of war.

The Oscar-winning actress and mother stars with Emile Hirsch in director Sergio Castellitto's film set in Sarajevo against the backdrop of the Balkan Wars.

Penelope said: "I knew a little bit and I remember seeing it in the news and I remember thinking this is happening not far away from us.

"It's another thing that I'm proud of with this movie, is to make people remember that something like this happened very recently. Some of our cities, Sergio lives in Rome, I live in Madrid, it was a two hour plane, and horrible, horrible things were happening there.

"It makes me think of what is happening right now in Syria and a lot of places - hell is there right now.

"I know movies are not made to give a lesson, to teach anything, but they can bring up..."

Asked what the lesson of the film was, Penelope said: "I think war is always useless, but if you are going to ask me for the solution of conflict, I have nothing. But I don't think war is the one."