Penelope Cruz to direct her first documentary

OSCAR-WINNING actress Penelope Cruz, who plays a woman fighting breast cancer in her latest film, ‘Ma Ma,’ is moving behind the camera to direct a documentary on childhood leukemia

“My goal is to raise awareness about this sensitive issue,” the 41-year-old Spanish actress said at a news conference to unveil the project.

The film, her debut as a director of a documentary, will tell the story of several children with leukemia, their parents and their doctors.

“I will soon meet the children. Some have beaten the disease, others are working on it. I will just be an observer and it will be they who tell the world what is happening,” she said.

“Of course it will be hard because I will be spending time with many children who are dealing with this. They are children who are going to share with me how horrible what is happening is.”

She said that she hopes the documentary will encourage more people to work on research to find a cure for the disease.

“Everything that has to do with children, if we can help, even if it is just a little bit, will make me very happy,” said the actress who has two children from her marriage to actor Javier Bardem.