There hasn’t been a closing ceremony since 2019, which means we can now say that Queen Letizia has taken over the festival’s big night, the Atlàntida Festival. The film festival promoted by Jaume Ripoll, founder of Filmin, has practically since its inception relied on the Queen’s support, a regular force responsible for presenting the festival’s most important prize, the Master of Cinema. Last night she did so again, applauding and presenting the sculpture by Joan Costa to the composer Alexandre Desplat.
Although Desplat’s name may not be familiar to everyone, he has worked with virtually all the most interesting directors of his generation: his scores include The Grand Budapest Hotel (2015) and The Shape of Water (2018), both Oscar-winning. Queen Letizia, already an expert in the art of the official pose, ensured that the night’s main protagonist moved through those intimidating minutes in front of the cameras with the greatest naturalness: she did not stop chatting while they were being arranged.
Although the honoree of the night did not reach the popularity of winners in other years such as Michael Douglas (2024), Alexandre Desplat does know Palma de Mallorca well, as he revealed in his acceptance speech. The composer has been visiting the island since the 1990s, invited many times by the Miró family, where he maintains a close friendship with Miquel Barceló. He is not, moreover, the first composer to receive this prize: the Spanish Alberto Iglesias (2015) also holds it.
Despite Desplat’s undeniable relevance in cinematic music creation, the overall focus was on the meeting between Queen Letizia and actor Javier Bardem, the star of the film shown at the festival’s closing. The well-known friendship between the Queen and Penélope Cruz and, by extension, with her Oscar-winning husband is no secret. However, we have not seen them together too often in public, so the expectation of catching any sign of complicity was in the air.
The greeting from Queen Letizia to Javier Bardem, under the watchful eye of Victoria Luengo.
In reality, the insatiable cameras of photographers and cameramen could only capture a brief and discreet greeting in the customary family photo of the night. Indeed: Queen Letizia and Javier Bardem shook hands and exchanged polite smiles. There was no revelatory anecdote to tell, beyond noting that the actor did not want to leave the discreet and comfortable backdrop when the Queen wanted to make room for him.
Nevertheless, the attendees’ chronicles did reveal that, before the start of the ceremony in the spectacular Misericòrdia courtyard, Queen Letizia chatted animatedly with both Javier Bardem and Victoria Luengo, co-star of El ser querido. Remember that the actress received from the Queen the Princess of Girona Arts Award in 2024, an encounter the actress has spoken about on several occasions.
There Were Three Bardems at the Festival’s Closing
Around the three main figures of the night—the Queen Letizia, Javier Bardem and Alexandre Desplat—there were many other notable names. Let us add Rodrigo Sorogoyen, director of El ser querido, and the island’s officials who seldom miss this annual cine venue: the President of the Govern, Marga Prohens; the head of the Consell, Llorenç Galmés; and the Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez. Carlos and Mónica Bardem also attended the Atlàntida Mallorca Film Festival’s closing, along with actors Miguel Bernardeau and Gael García-Bernal.
The moment in which Queen Letizia presents the Master of Cinema Award to Alexandre Desplat.
The festival director, Jaume Ripoll, wanted to take stock of the edition, which he called “the edition of the great leap forward, a boost in occupancy at all venues by an audience of all ages that has celebrated all the festival’s proposals with unprecedented enthusiasm and complicity.” This year the Atlàntida Mallorca Film Festival has broken its attendance record, with more than 53,500 spectators at its screenings, talks, and concerts.
With this nocturnal, cinephile appearance, Queen Letizia begins her public activity in Palma de Mallorca, where the royal family traditionally kick off its summer (we won’t say vacation, because the royal schedule remains full) there. The next official engagement will be tomorrow itself, when the entire royal family attends the summer reception at the Marivent Palace for a representation of Balearic society.
