Applauding
her at the ceremony were her sister Monica and friend Salma Hayek, who
co-stars in her current film Bandidas. The film, set in Mexico and
produced and written by French filmmaker Luc Besson, will be out in
France on 18th January.
Penelope Cruz became an international hit after starring in Pedro
Almodóvar's ‘Todo Sobre Mi Madre' (All About My Mother) and shot to
higher heights with her Hollywood role in ‘Vanilla Sky' in 2001
alongside Tom Cruise. His divorce from wife Nicole Kidman was a tabloid
extravaganza, with Cruz being blamed as they reportedly fell in love on
set. She went on to have a three year relationship with Cruise.
Her latest film, ‘Volver', written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, will be released in Spain in March.
France's
cultural and communications minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
proclaimed Penelope Cruz a knight of the Order of Arts and Letters at a
ceremony held in Paris on Wednesday evening, 11th January 2006.
