La Bola Negra

DramaWar

In cinemas 4w later · Limited Oct 16, 2026 (US)

★ Shortlisted by Ariane, dani, Frances, Mitch Allen

Programme: Special Presentations
Year: 2026
Runtime: 155 min
Country: Spain, France
Language: Spanish
Premiere: Canadian Premiere
In cinemas: Oct 16, 2026 (US)

Set across three timelines — Republican Spain in 1932, the Civil War in 1937, and contemporary Spain in 2017 — the film follows a constellation of interconnected lives centered on three young men, whose emotional and political echoes gradually reveal themselves.

From the TIFF programme

Los Javis’ ambitious and captivating homage to Federico García Lorca sees the lives of three men intertwined in love and loss across eras. Featuring powerful performances by Guitarricadelafuente, Carlos González, and Miguel Bernardeau.

At the cusp of the Spanish Civil War, a young man confronts his ideology and sexuality as he is conscripted into the fascist army where he becomes fascinated by a prisoner of war. Another young man in pre-dictatorship Spain finds himself blackballed from his father’s prestigious social club due to rumours about his sexuality. Finally, a young gay historian manoeuvres through his complicated family history and a unique inheritance decades after the dictatorship has ended.

A celebration of famed Spanish writer Federico García Lorca’s enduring legacy, La Bola Negra reimagines vignettes of his works that centred on repressed identity and sexuality, specifically his last, unfinished work that featured an openly gay protagonist in the context of extreme societal oppression. Academy Award winner Penélope Cruz (also at the Festival in Bunker), Academy Award nominee Glenn Close (The Wife, TIFF ’17), and Julio Torres (Problemista) star alongside stunning debut performances by musician Guitarricadelafuente and Milo Quifes.

The seamlessly converging storylines make for a sweeping and operatic romantic drama, punctuated by the lasting tragedy of Lorca’s execution at the hands of fascists. Directors Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo present a bold and ambitious narrative that delicately balances collective memory with deeply emotional personal histories. With these interconnected arcs, combined with stunning cinematography and a grand score, falling in love with La Bola Negra is inevitable.

ANITA LEE