Queer Spanish film La Bola Negra stands ovation at Cannes

A new Spanish film exploring queer lives across decades of history received an extended standing ovation following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday. "La Bola Negra" (The Black Ball), directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, is competing for the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or.

The film, which marks the directing duo's first feature in the Cannes official selection, interconnects the stories of three gay men in Spain during three distinct years: 1932, 1937, and 2017. It draws inspiration from an unfinished work by the poet Federico García Lorca, who was murdered at the start of the Spanish Civil War, and from Alberto Conejero's play "La Piedra Oscura." The directors co-wrote the screenplay with Conejero.

At an emotional press conference, Calvo described discovering the play by chance, calling it "basically fate." Ambrossi said the film aims to vindicate Lorca's legacy for younger generations, stating that the poet's death meant "they stole a role model from me."

The premiere was met with a lengthy standing ovation reported to have lasted between 16 and 20 minutes, placing it among the longest in recent festival history. Addressing the audience...