Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s “The Black Ball” (La Bola Negra) a 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 on Thursday to a 16-minute standing ovation.
The premiere marks the Cannes competition debut for the filmmaking duo known collectively as Los Javis, who have built an ardent international following with the series “Veneno” and “La Mesías.”
The duo said in a visibly emotional speech while the applause continued, “Ninety years ago, Federico García Lorca was killed by fascism because he was gay. So, to everyone who thinks that we are gonna step back in our LGBT rights, I have bad news. Because we are here to stay. So, thank you. Cannes Festival, thank you. Long live Cannes. For the opportunity, thank you. May we all truly know that we are in the same fight.”
“The Black Ball” traces the interconnected lives of three gay men across three eras – 1932, 1937, and 2017 – braiding together stories of desire, loss, and what one generation bequeaths to the next. The film’s title alludes to a mode of social rejection: a black ball cast into a voting urn to deny a young gay man entry into a Granada club. Glenn Close appears in a supporting role alongside Guitarricadelafuente – the beloved Spanish singer-songwriter, making his screen debut – Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes and Lola Dueñas, with Penelope Cruz contributing an extended cameo.
