Penélope Cruz stuns Cannes as ‘The Black Ball’ gets 16-minute ovation

Penélope Cruz and Spanish directors Los Javis earned a massive Cannes ovation for queer historical drama The Black Ball inspired by Federico García Lorca.

WEBDESK – MediaBites News

A powerful wave of applause swept through the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday as Spanish filmmaking duo Los Javis received a remarkable 16-minute standing ovation for their ambitious queer historical drama The Black Ball.

The film, inspired by an unfinished fragment by the legendary Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, written before his murder in 1936, marks the first Cannes competition entry for directors Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, collectively known as Los Javis.

Hollywood star Penélope Cruz appears in an extended cameo role in the emotionally charged drama, which follows the interconnected lives of three gay men across different periods of Spanish history — 1932, 1937 and 2017.

Following the screening, the filmmakers delivered an emotional speech honoring Lorca while strongly defending LGBTQ rights.

“Ninety years ago, Federico García Lorca was killed by fascism because he was gay,” Los Javis told the Cannes audience. “To everyone who thinks we are going to step back in our LGBT rights, we have bad news — we are here to stay.”

The film explores themes of love, rejection, identity, memory and generational trauma through stories spanning more than eight decades. Its title references the “black ball” historically used in secret voting systems to reject individuals, symbolizing discrimination faced by gay men in conservative Spanish society.

Alongside Cruz, the cast features Glenn Close, singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente in his acting debut, as well as Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, and Lola Dueñas.

Los Javis co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Alberto Conejero, drawing inspiration from Lorca’s surviving manuscript pages and Conejero’s acclaimed stage production “La piedra oscura.”

Filming took place across multiple Spanish regions, including Andalusia, Madrid, and Castile and León, with additional scenes shot in Greece.

“The Black Ball” is competing for both the prestigious Palme d’Or and the Queer Palm at Cannes. The film is co-produced by Movistar Plus+, Suma Content Films, and El Deseo, founded by acclaimed filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar and his brother Agustín Almodóvar.

Los Javis previously gained international recognition through acclaimed projects such as Veneno and La Mesías, which were praised for bold storytelling and LGBTQ representation.

“The Black Ball” is scheduled for theatrical release in Spain on October 2 through Elastica Films.