After debuting to critical acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival in May, La Bola Negra will officially premiere on Netflix on December 4 in the US, following a theatrical run that begins November 6.
The Spanish film — directed, co-written, and produced by filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who won the Best Director prize at Cannes — follows three men whose lives span moments in Spanish history across the 20th and 21st centuries, bound together through desire, pain, inheritance, and an exploration of queer identity.
“When we began writing La Bola Negra, we wanted to tell a story about freedom, legacy, and the importance of LGBTQ+ visibility,” say Calvo and Ambrossi, popularly known as Los Javis. “Above all, we wanted to honor the generations of people whose courage and sacrifice made our freedoms possible today.”
Penélope Cruz
La Bola Negra features an extraordinary international cast that includes Spanish singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente in his acting debut, Miguel Bernardeau (Elite), Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Goya winner Lola Dueñas, Peabody winner Julio Torres, Oscar winner Penélope Cruz, and three-time Golden Globe winner Glenn Close.
Los Javis co-wrote the film with Alberto Conejero. A Movistar Plus+ Original Film in collaboration with Suma Content Films, La Bola Negra is produced by Telefónica Audiovisual Digital and Los Esquiadores AIE, co-produced by El Deseo and Le Pacte, with the participation of Atresmedia and CREA SGR. Goodfellas is handling world sales.
Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo
La Bola Negra borrows its name from an unfinished play by the influential Spanish playwright and poet Federico García Lorca, who was assassinated in 1936, and explores his legacy through a contemporary lens.
“We couldn’t imagine a better home than Netflix to bring this story to audiences across the United States. We are deeply grateful and excited that its message will reach millions of viewers and help carry Federico García Lorca’s legacy to audiences around the world,” say Los Javis. “This is the beginning of an extraordinary new chapter for La Bola Negra, and we can’t wait for audiences to discover it.”
