By Hanna Rantala
LONDON, Oct 28 (Reuters) – Spanish filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi said their sophomore feature “La Bola Negra”, which has emerged as an Oscar contender, took them on the journey of their lives and left them with many more ideas they cannot wait to tackle.
Industry buzz over a possible Oscar has built for the film since its launch at the Cannes Film Festival in May where the duo, nicknamed “Los Javis”, won a best directing prize.
A record-breaking domestic box office performance ensued and Spain last month named the film, whose title literally means the black ball, as its official submission for the 2027 Academy Awards.
Co-written by Calvo, Ambrossi and Spanish playwright Alberto Conejero, “La Bola Negra” is inspired by an unfinished work of the same name by Federico Garcia Lorca, one of the most influential figures of 20th-century Spanish literature, who was murdered by fascist forces. It is also based on a play by Conejero, “La Piedra Oscura”, the dark stone in English.
The film’s three intertwined stories span a time-period from Spain’s 1936-1939 Civil War to the present day and address the difficulty historically of living openly as a homosexual.
“It means so much that a movie with this message, done by two gay men and three gay actors portraying gay characters, in such a queer universal story, is connecting to so many people,” Ambrossi told Reuters.
“What gives me a lot of energy is that we represent Spanish culture at this moment. It’s a very Spanish movie. It’s in Spanish, it’s about our literature, about Federico Garcia Lorca, and when I’m tired, I remember that it’s a movie with a purpose, of empathy.”
GUITARRICADELAFUENTE’S ACTING DEBUT
The film’s storylines follow Sebastian in 1937, Carlos in 1932 and Alberto in 2017, portrayed by musician Guitarricadelafuente and actors Milo Quifes and Carlos Gonzalez, respectively.
Guitarricadelafuente, 29, makes his acting debut, as Sebastian, a trumpet player tasked with guarding captured soldier Rafael Rodriguez Rapun, the lover of Lorca.
Guitarricadelafuente said finding parallels in his own life helped to soothe his nerves.
“Musically, at that moment, I was doing an album that was talking about self-discovery, someone that’s finding his place in the world,” said the singer-songwriter, who also co-wrote “La nieve” (the snow) for the film’s soundtrack. “I just put my soul in it and tried to represent the story the most honest way possible.”
The movie also features Penelope Cruz as a wartime entertainer and Glenn Close playing a Lorca scholar.
Netflix won a bidding for the film’s US distribution rights and has given it a record 47-day theatrical release before its streaming debut on December 2.
“La Bola Negra” is out in UK and Irish cinemas on November 6 and globally from late 2026.
The two directors, meanwhile, are eager to get started on their next projects.
“I can’t wait to get back to my blank paper. I can’t wait to get back to shooting, to work,” said Calvo.
“There’s a wide range of stories that we are interested in, so I think we have a lot ahead in terms of different stories and different characters and a lot of things that haven’t been told,” added Ambrossi.
(Reporting by Hanna Rantala; editing by Barbara Lewis)
Comments