Javier Bardem lashes out in Cannes against Trump and Netanyahu in a speech about "toxic masculinity" and machista violence in Spain

Javier Bardem has generated a wide debate at the Festival de Cannes after some statements in which he reflects on machismo and the so-called “toxic masculinity”, both in Spain and in the international context.

During the presentation of The Loved One, the actor has emphatically stated: “I come from a very machista country called Spain”, relating his speech to gender violence and the persistence of social structures that, in his opinion, normalize this problem.

Bardem has pointed out that there is a historically rooted culture of male domination and has denounced what he describes as attitudes of “machos” that are imposed through force or violence and that “measure their cocks”, in a reflection that has generated reactions at the event. In that same context, the interpreter has mentioned political figures such as Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu when referring to power dynamics that, according to him, are linked to that type of masculinity.

The actor has insisted on the need to speak about this problem openly and has linked his speech to the film he is presenting in Cannes, where his character also faces power dynamics and complex family relationships. His words have positioned his intervention as one of the most commented on at the festival, both for the critical tone and for the political scope of his reflections in the midst of an international cinema showcase.