‘La Bola Negra’ Directing Duo Los Javis Reveal How Spanish Sensation Became “The Journey Of Our Lives”

Los Javis, the filmmaking duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, say they wanted to bring overlooked queer lives from Spain’s past to the screen in *La Bola Negra*. The film follows three gay men across different periods of Spanish history and, after making a strong impression at Cannes, has been selected as Spain’s entry for the best international feature film Oscar.

Penélope Cruz plays Nené Romero, a singer who performs for soldiers in a pivotal role inspired by cuplé performers such as La Fornarina. The directors researched erotic novels and songs from the era, whose performers and gay associates later faced persecution and erasure. The film had a budget of about $15 million, which Ambrossi described as large for a Spanish production; the duo say their next planned feature will be mostly in English.