La Bola Negra

Set across three time periods (1932, 1937, and 2017), La Bola Negra (The Black Ball) opens in 1937 during the rise of fascism in Spain. We follow Sebastián, whose village is destroyed before he is conscripted into the fascist army, where he forms a bond with an enemy prisoner. In the second story, set five years earlier, a young scion is black-balled and denied entry into his father’s social club because of rumours about his sexuality. And in the third instalment, set 85 years later, gay historian Alberto is informed he has inherited something from a grandfather he never knew. These three separate stories connect in unexpected ways in this extremely clever and well-constructed film. The images, meticulous and inventively composed, are unforgettable. With extraordinary performances by the ensemble – featuring Penelope Cruz, Glenn Close and Julio Torres in supporting roles – this sensual drama brings its multiple storylines together to deliver a deeply moving emotional climax. Directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known by their directing moniker Los Javis and for their hit series Veneno, arrive instantly to the world stage as directors of great repute with this magnificent, daring and romantic work.