Sex, Love and War: How the Racy Gay Epic ‘La Bola Negra’ Could Win Netflix’s First Best Picture Oscar
“La Bola Negra”, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, follows gay men in Spain across three timelines, linking sexuality, love and the country’s civil war and repression. Its awards-season profile has grown after strong festival showings, and Netflix’s involvement has put it forward as a possible challenger for the best picture Oscar.
The film moves from a man excluded from a social club in 1932, to a soldier and prisoner whose affection crosses political lines in 1937, and a historian’s investigation in 2017. Guitarricadelafuente and Miguel Bernardeau play the wartime lovers; Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close appear in supporting roles. It received a 20-minute standing ovation at Cannes, shared the festival’s best director prize and won Toronto’s People’s Choice Award.
- The Spanish drama spans three timelines and explores gay lives during war and dictatorship.
- Festival acclaim has made it a notable Oscar-season contender.
- Netflix acquired the film after its Cannes premiere.
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Spain’s Civil War began in 1936, dividing the country between the elected Republican government and a military uprising led by Francisco Franco. Franco’s victory in 1939 ushered in a dictatorship that lasted until his death in 1975; public expression of gay identity was restricted and gay people faced discrimination and repression.
“La Bola Negra” connects gay men’s lives in 1932, during the war and in 2017, through a story about love, exclusion and historical memory. Its directors, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, are Spanish filmmakers, and Netflix’s involvement has brought the film into discussion of the Academy Awards, whose best picture prize is chosen by members of the film industry.