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‘La Bola Negra’ earns 20-minute ovation at Cannes premiere
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- La Bola Negra, a queer saga following three gay men across three eras of Spanish history, debuted Thursday at Cannes to a standing ovation lasting up to 20 minutes.variety
- The film marks the competition debut of Spanish directing duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known as Los Javis, and draws from an unfinished Federico García Lorca work.festival-cannes
- It is one of three Spanish films competing for the Palme d’Or this year, the first time that has happened in the festival’s history, according to The Hollywood Reporter.hollywoodreporter
La Bola Negra Earns Lengthy Standing Ovation at Cannes Premiere
La Bola Negra, the queer epic from Spanish directing duo Los Javis, received one of the longest standing ovations at this year’s Cannes Film Festival when it debuted Thursday evening at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. Deadline reported the ovation lasted 20 minutes, while Variety characterized it as 16 minutes — either way marking an extraordinary reception for the debut feature from Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi.variety
A Queer Epic Spanning 85 Years
The film, which runs two hours and 37 minutes, follows three gay men across three distinct periods of Spanish history — 1932, 1937, and 2017 — weaving narratives of desire, grief, and generational inheritance. It draws inspiration from an unfinished work by poet Federico García Lorca, as well as playwright Alberto Conejero’s La piedra oscura. Calvo and Ambrossi co-wrote the screenplay with Conejero.rottentomatoes
Starring Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, the film also features Spanish pop star Guitarricadelafuente in his major feature acting debut, alongside Lorenzo Zurzolo and Julio Torres.imdb
A Historic Year for Spanish Cinema at Cannes
La Bola Negra is one of three Spanish-language films competing for the Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, alongside Pedro Almodóvar’s Amarga Navidad and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s El Ser Querido — the first time three Spanish features have appeared in competition simultaneously. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Spain is “in vogue” at this year’s festival.hollywoodreporter
The 79th edition of Cannes runs from May 12 to 23. La Bola Negra is scheduled for theatrical release in Spain on October 2, 2026.wikipedia
