'La Bola Negra': Before Netflix's Gay Epic Becomes an Oscar Frontrunner, Its Directors Must Emerge Unscathed From a Split.

Even After Their 13-Year Romance Died, Los Javis Still Make Films Together. Javier Ambrossi told IndieWire: 'There is a political statement behind creating a big, bold, gay, period, epic drama.'

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Editor's note: This review was originally published on September 3, 2026. Netflix will open the film in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, October 16, then go wider before coming to Netflix on Friday, December 2.

Before Labula Negra premiered at Cannes this May, cinephiles knew about Spain's hottest duo, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrosi. They have produced and directed several television projects, most notably the mockumentary Paquita Salas (2016-2019), about a veteran talent agent who adapts to modern celebrity. "Veneno" (2020): An acclaimed bio-drama about transgender TV star Cristina Ortiz (La Veneno); and "La Mesías" (2023): a psychological family thriller that mixes trauma, faith and music. They directed the 2017 film ("Holy Camp!") based on their play. And Netflix supported the production of Yurena's bio-documentary series "Superstar" (2025). Related Stories 'The Diplomat' Review: Season 4 just can't pull off one bad decision after another

So it was no surprise that Netflix scooped up "La Bola Negra," his second film, which shared the Cannes director prize with the venerable Pawel Pawlikowski ("The Fatherland"). The war epic, confidently backed for around $14 million, beautifully weaves together three gay narratives from different eras, all of which evoke deep emotion. (This film is shortlisted for three Spanish International Film Awards. The selection will be announced on September 16.)

The two Javiss, who split midway through filming after 13 years, caught up with me recently at IndieWire's Los Angeles office ahead of their film's second round of fall film festivals, where it's being relaunched in Telluride. They seemed friendly enough: they're still writing, directing, and producing partners, with several projects in the works.

The two started developing the script three years ago after the failure of another project. Calvo read the Spanish Civil War play "La Piedra Oscura" on the flight. "It kind of called me," he said. "I started crying in the first monologue. Sebastian talks about the bombing in his town and how he loves his mother and how he used to play in a local band and all these images came to my mind. "Why does this touch me? This is a sign of something."

After Ambrosi read it, they agreed to build something around it. The play references Federico García Lorca's Labula Negra, which sent the writers down another rabbit hole. "We realized there were only four pages," Callow said. He never got to finish that play because he was killed. So suddenly another door opened: maybe we can reimagine "La Bola Negra". "What if Federico could finish that show? Maybe there's a way we can tie it all together."

Before they could write, they wanted to find their leader, the reluctant revolutionary Sebastian. They discovered the popular musician Guitarricadelafuente. "We thought, 'Little soldier, check,'" Calvo said. "Gay, Czech, it has to be related to music, he has to learn how to play an instrument. We don't want to fake it. It has to have music in it. Sad eyes, sad, beautiful. We were imagining war eyes, all eyes, all soul."

"Suddenly Guitarricadelafuente can be amazing," Ambrosi said. He signed up for the film without a script. And we start writing with him."

The script was published in 156 pages and in three separate parts. They combined García Lorca's story with a Spanish Civil War play and added their own perspective of the present, creating a contemporary fictional character, the disaffected academic Alberto (Carlos González), who could "talk about caring about the LGBT struggle that came before us," Ambrosi said.

"We needed to touch the ground and say, it's not so far away when our relatives killed each other," Calvo said. These are our grandfathers." García Lorca was killed in 1936, exactly 90 years ago. It was yesterday."

The final edit is close to what the screenwriters intended, with a few scenes missing for long stretches. "We write and direct and produce," Ambrosi said. So we use the money where we want. Because it's so personal it's not like growing up made us lose our perspective or lose our originality because we did all of those things. We got it."

They used all they could of Penelope Cruz, whose agent called to ask if there was a role for her after an early press conference announcing the project. "We're making a little movie for him," Ambrosi said. “Two [musical] numbers. We read all the books of the time about singers. "He speaks the way those people spoke in that time period."

Glenn Close wrote them a glowing email about the La Mesías series. So they wrote a part for him as a Garcia Lorca expert as well. Close was willing to play a small role because she had to learn Spanish. While the casting of Cruise and Close increased the film's commercial appeal and brought in a few extra dollars for production, Les Javis says they did not intend to make a commercial film. "It's not designed to be popular," Calvo said.

"There's a political statement behind creating a big, bold, gay, epic drama," Ambrosi said. “Because sometimes you think that LGBTQ films have to be specific and small and independent for a certain audience, and we wanted to make a big film in Spain. It's as big as you can get."

It was so big it was devilish to shoot: lots of details, extras and period locations. "Every day was a shooting, a war," Calvo said. "It was very hard. The bombing was real. No CGI." They might not make it without a tight crew. "We are good friends who have worked together forever," Ambrosi said. "We grew up together, and a very deep bond. They believe in us, in our stories, and allow us to create, discover, make mistakes, and try again."

After 13 years together, making this film about love and war pushed the two men into mid-production. "It wasn't uncomfortable," Calvo said. "Every film is admirable for us in some way. We learn something from what we write and it should change us. And when we started writing this movie, we started encountering passion and love and respect for love stories that couldn't happen in the past. We knew that our relationship would go one way or the other after going through this moving fire. Somehow in the middle of shooting: "We should be family and not have a romantic relationship."

They did not fight. "That's not the point," Ambrosi said. "It's about when you're writing about desire, and when you're writing about impossible love, and when you're facing the fact that not too long ago, some people weren't capable of love, especially gay men and LGBTQ people. Then you force yourself to ask, 'Am I honoring the past?' And the truth is, we weren't."

"It's about what happens when you deny yourself," Calvo added. You miss the life we ​​write all these lines: “Evolution. Don't lie to yourself, just be honest." We were adults: "It's over." But something new begins, much more beautiful, which is to be a partner. We are writing our next film, half in English and half in Spanish."

In fact, despite the split, they would continue to write and co-direct, Ambrosi said: "Suddenly, it's clearer, easier." We are now in a good moment and open to life.

While the left currently runs the Spanish government, Los Javis remains concerned. Ambrosi said: "The right wing is growing, growing and growing like everyone else, so there is a shadow of a comeback. When I write, I try to have a purpose, and that was to be seen, to speak. About the past, telling their stories that were silent. But suddenly magic can happen?"

"We were going to do something special," Calvo said. "People were saying, 'We're going to do it.' We leave our hearts here."

"La Bola Negra" opens in Spanish theaters on Sept. 25 and will run stateside for 47 days starting Oct. 16, an unusual statement from Netflix about its commitment to supporting a longer-running Oscar film. But if awards season goes according to the broadcaster's plans, a journey that began at Cannes with a standing ovation could end with Los Javis taking home the golden statues.