"not simply a story about how far society has come, but also about everything that was lost along the way"

Winner of the Prix de la mise en scène (Best Director Award) at the Cannes Film Festival, La Bola Negra explores three lives intertwined by one common thread: the desire to express their sexuality freely.

The film follows Carlos in 1932, Sebastián in 1937, and Alberto in 2017. Their lives may seem worlds apart, but their stories are connected by the struggle to live authentically. Two of them unfold against the backdrop of Spain’s political turmoil in the years leading up to and during the Spanish Civil War.

Carlos is trying to follow in his father’s footsteps and gain admission to an exclusive social club at his town’s casino. However, rumours about his homosexuality lead to his rejection, exposing how easily a person’s reputation and place in society can be destroyed by prejudice.

After surviving an aerial attack by the Italian Air Force, Sebastián reluctantly joins the Spanish Nationalist group in an attempt to save himself. In Santander, he meets Rafael Rodríguez Rapún, a Republican soldier and former lover of Federico García Lorca. While Rapún is imprisoned and awaiting execution, Sebastián is tasked with interrogating and guarding him. However, the two men gradually get to know one another, developing an emotional connection in a world where hiding who you are is often the only way to survive.

Alberto, on the other hand, lives in a more accepting world. While researching queer culture in the history of Athens, he learns that his estranged maternal grandfather has passed away and left him a prized possession in his will: La Bola Negra, an unfinished play written by Lorca before his death.

Directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi take on a challenging project, one they execute brilliantly and with considerable emotional depth.

Tracing queer representation throughout Spanish history can be a difficult experience, one that can leave you with a sense of hopelessness. Through the stories of these three characters, La Bola Negra reminds us that, particularly in the past, living your truth could mean the difference between life and death. Men and women were denied the freedom to be their authentic selves, and fighting for the right to exist openly could mean being killed for it.

Using García Lorca as a point of reference is an incredibly clever choice. His work, his life, and his relationship with Rapún add another layer of meaning to the narrative, making the story all the more poignant. His presence becomes a reminder of how much queer history has been lost, silenced, or left unfinished.

The film’s more hopeful turn comes with Alberto’s story, set in the present day, where he is free to explore his sexuality without the same fear of persecution or the need to hide who he is. Yet, even in a more accepting society, complete acceptance is not always guaranteed. There is still a bitter note to his experience, but hope remains the light at the end of the tunnel.

By bringing Carlos, Sebastián, and Alberto together across different periods of history, the film traces a line between three different realities: denying yourself the freedom to be who you are; finding love in the most difficult of circumstances, while still having to lie to the world to survive; and finally, being able to love openly, without fear of persecution or the burden of shame.

Ultimately, La Bola Negra is not simply a story about how far society has come, but also about everything that was lost along the way. It is a reminder that the freedom to love openly should never be taken for granted, and that being able to live without shame is, in itself, an act of liberation. Some stories may remain unfinished, but the right to tell them, to remember them, and to live them freely belongs to everyone.