Penélope Cruz begins ‘Venuto al mondo’ shoot

Spanish actress Penelope Cruz on Wednesday arrived unexpectedly in Sarajevo, where she will film “Venuto al mondo,” a drama directed by Sergio Castellitto.

“Venuto al mondo” is the film adaptation of the same-named novel by Margaret Mazzantini, Castellitto’s wife and one of the most popular writers in Italy.

Cruz will play the role of Gemma, a single mother who accompanies her teenage son to modern-day Sarajevo, the birthplace of his father, who died during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia.

Participating in the project are Bosnian production companies Pro.ba and Deblokada.

The Oscar-winning actress has worked with Castellitto before on his 2004 film “Non ti muovere.”