Penélope Cruz-starrer ‘The Black Ball’ earns 16-minute Cannes ovation

Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s "The Black Ball" (La Bola Negra), a sweeping queer epic spanning 85 years of Spanish history and inspired by an unfinished fragment by Federico García Lorca, premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday, earning a 16-minute standing ovation.

The screening also marked the Cannes competition debut of the filmmaking duo, collectively known as Los Javis, who have built a devoted international following through acclaimed series including "Veneno" and "La Mesías".

As the audience continued applauding, the visibly emotional duo delivered a speech reflecting on the film’s themes and legacy. They said that nearly 90 years ago, Federico García Lorca was murdered under fascism because of his identity as a queer man. Addressing ongoing debates around transgender rights, they declared that there would be no retreat, adding that the community is “here to stay.”

They went on to thank the Cannes Film Festival for the opportunity and ended with a message of solidarity, saying they hoped everyone would recognise that they are united in the same struggle.

"The Black Ball" follows the connected journeys of three gay men living across three different periods — 1932, 1937 and 2017 — weaving together narratives of love, grief and the emotional legacy passed from one generation to another.

Its title references an act of social exclusion: the casting of a black ball in a vote to prevent a young queer man from being accepted into a club in Granada. The cast includes Glenn Close in a supporting role, alongside Spanish singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente in his acting debut, as well as Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, and Lola Dueñas. Penélope Cruz also makes an extended cameo appearance.

Ambrossi and Calvo co-wrote the script with playwright Alberto Conejero, taking inspiration from the four surviving pages of an unfinished novel by Federico García Lorca — written before the poet was killed by Nationalist forces in 1936 — along with elements from Conejero’s play "La piedra oscura."

Filming took place over 12 weeks across several locations in Spain, including Castile and León, Cantabria, Andalusia and Madrid, with additional scenes shot in Greece. Several key collaborators from "La Mesías" reunited for the project, including cinematographer Gris Jordana and composer Raül Refree.

"The Black Ball" also marks the first feature produced under Suma Content Films, the newly launched film division of Los Javis’ production company.

Read more

Cannes film market abuzz with multi-million dollar acquisitions

"The Black Ball" is a co-production between Movistar Plus+, Suma Content Films, Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar’s El Deseo, and Le Pacte, while international distribution rights are being managed by Goodfellas. The film is scheduled to be released in Spanish cinemas on October 2 through Elastica Films.