La Bola Negra

Sharing the Best Director Prize at Cannes, this sublime time-hopping triptych recounts three men’s experiences of love, legacy and the unending fight for queer liberation.

In 1937, musician Sebastián is conscripted into the Spanish Civil War by the pro-Franco army; there, he meets and falls for a handsome leftist prisoner. In 1932, Carlos attempts to gain membership to an exclusive casino but is rejected due to rumours about his homosexuality. And in 2017, historian Alberto inherits a gift from his estranged grandfather that exacerbates tensions with his mother. Across the decades, these men’s stories interweave and bleed into one another, revealing threads that connect them in profound, unexpected ways.

Associate-produced by Pedro Almodóvar and featuring supporting turns by Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close and Julio Torres , the arrestingly poetic second feature from directorial duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo depicts how each generation faces its own forms of prejudice. Inspired by Federico García Lorca’s unfinished stageplay of the same name, La Bola Negra is a sweeping meditation on the battles we wage for ideology and belonging.

Screening at Luna Leederville from December 10.

Festivals & Awards

Cannes Film Festival 2026 | Winner: Best Director
Toronto International Film Festival 2026 | Official Selection
Melbourne International Film Festival 2026 | Official Selection