{
  "id": 8827678,
  "title": "Spain’s wartime gay drama ‘The Black Ball’, starring Glenn Close and Penelope Cruz, wins Toronto film prize, gets early Oscars boost",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/spains-wartime-gay-drama-the-black-ball-starring-glenn-close-and",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-21T02:57:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/showbiz/2026/09/21/spains-wartime-gay-drama-the-black-ball-starring-glenn-close-and-penelope-cruz-wins-toronto-film-prize-gets-early-oscars-boost/235926"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Spain's The Black Ball, a film exploring gay rights during the Spanish Civil War, emerged victorious on Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival. The ambitious epic, titled La Bola Negra in its native language, features Miguel Bernardeau alongside Penelope Cruz and Glenn Close as the lead actors. The directors, Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, also known collectively as \"Los Javis,\" crafted the tale of three gay men spanning various periods in Spanish history. This triumph at Toronto offers the film an early advantage in the quest for accolades at the prestigious Oscars, where the festival's People's Choice Award has historically served as a reliable indicator. Ambrossi, who previously shared a relationship with Calvo, described The Black Ball as a tribute to the LGBTQ+ community of the past, highlighting its universal appeal. Unlike the accolades awarded by Cannes and Venice, the Toronto People's Choice Award is determined by the opinions of the general public, thus eligible to any film in the festival's official roster. Ambrossi and Calvo, renowned for their television work in Spain, have witnessed a surge in their global recognition following a successful debut at Cannes, where the film shared the Best Director award with Pawel Pawlikowski's (Fatherland). The film's inception stemmed from the partial script of Federico Garcia Lorca, a poet executed by fascist forces at the onset of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Intrigued by the four pages of unfinished writing, Ambrossi and Calvo delved deep into Lorca's writings, correspondence, and biographies. The filmmakers emphasized that the film transcends its historical setting, emphasizing empathy and humanity, and encouraging viewers to perceive others as individuals.",
  "summary": "TORONTO, Sept 21 — Spain’s The Black Ball, a gay rights drama set during the country’s civil war, won...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}