Los Javis Take Global Cinema by Storm With ‘La Bola Negra,’ Raising Netflix’s Oscar Hopes

NEW YORK — Los Javis Take Global Cinema by Storm With ‘La Bola Negra,’ Raising Netflix’s Oscar Hopes

For Spanish filmmaker duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, having their movie “La Bola Negra” selected for the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year was a significant milestone, particularly because they were not widely known internationally at the time.

“(Cannes director) Thierry Frémaux was like, ‘I love this movie. Who are you?’” Ambrossi recalls with a laugh.

Five months later, however, the pair have become familiar names across the international film industry. Known in Spain as Los Javis, Ambrossi and Calvo have shaken up the cinematic landscape with an ambitious queer epic that has placed them squarely in the Oscar conversation.

Netflix will release “La Bola Negra” in select theaters Friday. The film follows the interconnected lives of three gay men across different periods, spanning the early 20th century, the Spanish Civil War and the present day. With its sweeping narrative and lyrical melancholy, the movie explores generational trauma and the enduring legacy of queer identity.

The film received an enthusiastic response at Cannes, quickly propelling its directors onto the international stage. Ambrossi and Calvo shared the festival’s best director award with Pawel Pawlikowski for “Fatherland.” Netflix subsequently won a bidding war to acquire the film and has committed to a 46-day exclusive theatrical release, the longest cinema window the company has ever offered.

The expectations surrounding the production are substantial. Made in Spain for $15 million, “La Bola Negra” is anticipated to compete with “The Odyssey” for the best picture award.

For Ambrossi, 42, and Calvo, 35, the sudden transformation has been difficult to comprehend. They moved almost directly from a dark editing room to the spotlight of their Cannes premiere. With some help from therapy, the two have gradually adjusted to their rapidly changing circumstances.

During an interview last month, the pair greeted a reporter warmly before discussing why the film has generated such a powerful emotional response.

“I hear a lot, ‘It was so poetic.’ Maybe audiences aren’t used to that because movies are supposed to be liked by everyone at the same time,” Ambrossi says. “People are asking themselves: Why was I crying?”

Calvo believes the film connects with audiences because it speaks to fundamental human desires and the importance of living authentically.

“Every generation needs that big movie that speaks to their desires, their warmth,” he says. “People really connect to that feeling of: Don’t lose your life, just live. Just make the decision you want to make. We only have now.”

From Reality TV to International Filmmakers

“La Bola Negra,” whose English title is “The Black Ball,” begins with the mournful sound of a trumpet and introduces Sebastián, portrayed by Spanish singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente in his screen debut. After his village is bombed, Sebastián joins the Nationalist army, where he develops feelings for Rafael, a freedom fighter imprisoned and recovering in a military hospital. Rafael is played by Miguel Bernardeau.

That storyline forms the foundation of a narrative that stretches across generations, connecting historical events with the present and the future.

Rafael’s relationship with the real-life poet Federico García Lorca explores the difficulties they face as gay men in a military environment governed by strict heterosexual norms. Their struggle also involves protecting a work about gay identity, dignity and survival that Lorca began before Nationalist forces assassinated him in 1936.

Calvo describes the project as a tribute to earlier generations of LGBTQ people who fought for the freedoms enjoyed today.

“It’s a way of honoring our grandparents and our LGBTQ elders,” he says. “They fought for us. They died for us. We were crying on the set every day.”

Ambrossi says society has lost sight of those sacrifices despite how recently they occurred.

“We have forgotten them,” he adds. “It was not that long ago. My grandmother is 90. It was yesterday, and we have forgotten that.”

The directors have a more glamorous public image than many of their filmmaking peers. Both began their careers as actors, and their dark curls and expressive eyes might suggest they are better suited to performing in front of the camera than working behind it. In Spain, they are established celebrities.

Their television appearances include judging the Spanish version of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” serving as game-show panelists and hosting award ceremonies. Their films and television productions have also attracted a broad following.

Among their admirers are Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, both of whom appear alongside the other actors in “La Bola Negra.” Renowned Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar is among the film’s producers.

Choosing to Continue as a Duo After Nearly Splitting

Ambrossi and Calvo were romantic partners for years before making “La Bola Negra,” creating an ironic backdrop for a film centered on love and deeply felt emotions.

Calvo says the filmmaking process forced them to confront complicated feelings and recognize how much they could change through their shared experiences.

“Every project is a road to the unknown and we know we’re going to be different at the end of the road,” he says. “We faced desire, love and all these complex feelings.”

As production wrapped up, the pair ended their romantic relationship and initially decided to stop working together professionally.

By the time they arrived at Cannes, however, they had reconsidered that decision.

Ambrossi says their long history as collaborators made the prospect of directing without Calvo difficult to imagine.

“We have been working together forever,” he says. “I don’t know what it is to be a director if he’s not there. It’s going to stay that way. We love to work together.”

Calvo acknowledges that questions about their future partnership were natural but points to their shared success at Cannes as evidence that they remain a formidable team.

“It’s natural to wonder what’s next,” he says, nodding. “But we won best director, the two of us. Très chic. It’s like: Yes, we are unstoppable together.”

The film has already achieved major commercial success in Spain, setting records for an independent production. In September, it also received the Toronto International Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award, further strengthening its position in the Oscar race.

With an American theatrical release approaching, the film will soon reach US audiences and Academy Awards voters. If its emotional impact continues to resonate with moviegoers, “La Bola Negra” could help Netflix secure its first best-picture Oscar.

Ambrossi says the streaming company recognized the filmmakers’ intention to create a movie designed for theatrical viewing while also understanding its potential to reach a wider audience.

“Netflix understood perfectly that we did a movie for theaters,” he says. “Even with the round borders of the 35 mm, it is made for that. But they understood and we understood that it’s a movie with a powerful message, and being with Netflix, it’s going to go directly to the people. It’s a movie that could really change consciousness.”

One recurring reaction to “La Bola Negra” is that its expansive historical scope and distinctive visual style make it appear far more expensive than its actual budget.

For Ambrossi and Calvo, that achievement reflects the advantages of working together as a directing team.

“Being two really helps you,” Ambrossi says. “You can do more with less. He can be rehearsing and I can be thinking about the next day with production design.”

He smiles before adding: “It makes us big.”