Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for one of its major awards-season hopefuls, and La Bola Negra looks absolutely sumptuous. The acclaimed Spanish epic from Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi spans nearly a century, boasts Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close among its ensemble, and arrives with Cannes, Toronto and San Sebastián prizes already behind it. Watch the trailer above and get the details below.
A Gorgeous Epic Spanning Three Eras
The scale is immediately striking. The trailer moves through grand interiors, war-torn streets, sweeping Spanish landscapes, snow, fire and crashing water, with cinematographer Gris Jordana (I Am Nevenka) giving the film a rich, tactile look that practically demands a cinema screen.
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At its centre are three men living decades apart: Carlos (Milo Quifes), attempting to enter an exclusive social club in 1932; Sebastián (Guitarricadelafuente), serving during the Spanish Civil War in 1937; and historian Alberto (Carlos González), uncovering a family secret in 2017.
Their stories are connected by questions of love, sexuality, repression and inheritance. Speaking with Netflix Tudum, Calvo said, “With this film, the central question is what we do with our past, with our inheritance, with the objects and art that remain, with the traces history leaves behind.”
The film takes its name from an unfinished work by Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca and also draws from Alberto Conejero’s play La Piedra Oscura. Conejero co-wrote the screenplay with Calvo and Ambrossi.
“When we began writing La Bola Negra, we wanted to tell a story about freedom, legacy, and the importance of LGBTQ+ visibility. Above all, we wanted to honor the generations of people whose courage and sacrifice made our freedoms possible today,” the filmmakers told Tudum.
Guitarricadelafuente, making his feature acting debut as Sebastián, also contributes original music, with his ballad “La Nieve” driving the new trailer.
The Awards Buzz Has Plenty Behind It
La Bola Negra already has an impressive festival run behind it. Calvo and Ambrossi won Best Director at Cannes, before the film took the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Audience Award at San Sebastián.
The reviews have been strong, too. At the time of writing, La Bola Negra holds 91% on Rotten Tomatoes from 55 reviews.
And the Oscar campaign is officially underway. Spain has selected La Bola Negra as its submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, with its festival haul and strong reviews likely to keep it firmly in the awards conversation.
When Is La Bola Negra Released?
Australian distributor Rialto has La Bola Negra opening in cinemas on October 15.
Netflix begins its North American theatrical rollout in New York and Los Angeles on October 16, ahead of the film’s Netflix release in the US and Canada on December 2.
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