'The Black Ball' emerges as Spain’s Oscar contender with LGBTQ rights message
TORONTO, Sept 17 — Spain’s Oscar entry The Black Ballhas proven buzzy across the festival circuit, as its powerful mes...
Spain has chosen The Black Ball as its Oscar contender, a film that highlights LGBTQ rights amidst a backdrop of sexuality and the Spanish Civil War. The drama, featuring appearances from Penelope Cruz and Glenn Close, received a standing ovation during its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) on September 17. The film, known as La Bola Negra in Spanish, was selected by Spain as its international feature film contender for the Academy Awards.
Directors Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, also known as "Los Javis," spearheaded the project. Until recently, they were a couple and are well-known for their work in Spanish television. However, their film has garnered international recognition, particularly after winning the Best Director Award at Cannes, shared with Pawel Pawlikowski (Fatherland).
The film stars Miguel Bernardeau and weaves together the narratives of three gay men from different periods in Spain. Ambrossi, speaking at a press conference at TIFF, stated that the film is a tribute to the LGBTQ+ community of the past that fought for human rights. He also mentioned that the project started as "fragile" and "intimate," but they recognized a political statement behind it, resulting in an "epic gay drama for everyone."
The filmmakers drew inspiration from the unpublished play of Federico Garcia Lorca, a poet executed by fascist forces at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. The four pages of unfinished writing sparked their curiosity and led them on a journey to immerse themselves in Lorca's writings, correspondence, and biographies. This immersion took years, the filmmakers shared.
Ambrossi and Calvo emphasized that the film is not just about sexuality but also about empathy and humanity. They aimed to see the other as a person, which is particularly relevant considering many countries still have anti-LGBTQ laws, and individuals within the community can be persecuted or even killed for their sexuality. The film premiered at TIFF on September 20.
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