Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close Star in Spanish Civil War Gay Drama at Cannes
The Spanish drama links three gay stories across eras and drew a near-record ovation, just shy of Cannes’ 22-minute mark, critics said.
- Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, known as Los Javis, created the film La Bola Negra, inspired by Federico García Lorca, which intertwines stories from 1932, 1937, and 2017 exploring sexuality and inheritance in Spain.
- The film stars Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, and it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to a 20-minute ovation, nearly matching the festival record.
- La Bola Negra is a large-scale Spanish production featuring various locations, elaborate costumes, and explores forbidden gay love and lost gay history during the Spanish Civil War and Francoist repression.
- The film was produced by Movistar Plus+ and Suma Content Films and is among the Spanish films competing at Cannes this year.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close star in Spanish civil war gay drama at Cannes
Penélope Cruz leads 'La Bola Negra', the new film from the creators of 'La Mesías', set partly during the Spanish Civil War and following three gay men across generations as they navigate desire, repression and inherited trauma. Glenn Close also stars in the ambitious Spanish-language drama. Meanwhile Lukas Dhont returns to Cannes after 'Close' with 'Coward', a First World War story questioning what courage really means – fighting in battle, or …
Penélope Cruz Opts for Asymmetry
Penélope Cruz opted for Chanel’s contemporary elegance for the “La Bola Negra” red carpet premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on Thursday in France. Penélope Cruz Getty Images The Oscar-winning actress sported a sleek black gown with asymmetry as a main motif from the French luxury fashion house. The one-shoulder dress included a thigh-high slit and wisps of sheer …
A very big budget coup de force, Javier Ambrossi's (very expected) film and Javier Calvo imagines the continuation, through three epochs, of an unfinished novel of the poet who will be killed by the fascists. And hard to find grace.
This Thursday afternoon, Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo made a strong impression in Competition of the 79th Cannes Festival with a fantastic historical melodrama inhabited by the ghost of Federico Garcia Lorca. ...
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