Directing duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, known collectively as “Los Javis,” have garnered significant attention for their latest film, *La Bola Negra*, a sweeping queer epic that intertwines history, identity, and desire. The Spanish-language film has been praised for its ambitious scale and emotional depth, earning critical acclaim including a shared Best Director prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It is now considered a strong contender for multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
*La Bola Negra* unfolds across three distinct timelines set in Spain: the early 1930s, during the buildup to the Spanish Civil War; 1937, amid the conflict itself; and 2017, in a contemporary context. The film opens with a young man being rejected from an exclusive casino due to his perceived homosexuality, an episode that introduces the titular black ball (“la bola negra”) as a symbol of discrimination and internalized shame. The narrative then shifts to the tensions of 1937, exploring the complex relationship between a nationalist soldier and a republican prisoner, and concludes in the present day with a queer historian inheriting an unfinished manuscript by the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, which serves as a narrative thread linking the film’s episodes.
Ambrossi has expressed a deliberate aim to create a large-scale, mainstream queer film that departs from the traditionally niche approach to LGBTQ+ cinema. “I’m done with LGBTQ+ movies being niche,” he said, emphasizing the desire to craft “the biggest, gayest war movie ever.” The film juxtaposes stark historical realities, such as the bombing of a Spanish village by Italian fascists, with modern-day queer culture, including Grindr encounters, resulting in what the directors describe as a “maximalist collage.”
The film’s visual style combines flamboyant set pieces and bold directorial choices, with standout cameos by Penélope Cruz, sporting a blond wig, and Glenn Close, who appears speaking Spanish. The visceral impact of the film has been evident in audience reactions, with many viewers documenting their emotional response online before and after screenings.
*La Bola Negra* also reflects a deeply personal journey for the filmmakers. Both Ambrossi and Calvo are openly gay and have long collaborated on works exploring LGBTQ+ themes, but this is their first project to foreground gay male desire explicitly. Ambrossi acknowledged a previous reluctance to tackle such themes directly, attributing it in part to feelings of shame and apprehension about depicting desire and sex on screen. He credits their friend and collaborator Pedro Almodóvar—whose production company El Deseo co-produced the film—for encouraging this creative shift. “If you don’t deal explicitly with desire, you are missing life,” Ambrossi said.
The directors have been intentional about casting openly gay actors in gay roles, highlighting the debut of singer Guitarricadelafuente as the lovestruck soldier in the 1937 storyline. Calvo noted past professional challenges he faced as a young gay actor in Spain, including being advised to conform to heteronormative standards, which influenced their commitment to creating more opportunities for marginalized performers.
Moreover, *La Bola Negra* has secured an extended theatrical run in the United States before transitioning to Netflix, a rarity for streaming platform acquisitions. The film will remain in cinemas for 47 days, a record for a Netflix release.
Despite professional success, the intense public attention and overlapping personal and working relationships have been challenging for the directors. Calvo noted that the constant referencing to them as a singular entity—“Los Javis”—contributed to their decision to separate during the film’s production, underlining the complexities of their partnership amid rising fame.
*La Bola Negra* stands as a bold statement in queer cinema, blending political history and contemporary narratives with unflinching storytelling, and signals a new phase in the intersection of LGBTQ+ visibility and mainstream filmmaking.