Classification: M
Details: Adult Themes
Languages: Spanish with English subtitles
Widescreen strand
The Black Ball | La Bola Negra
A queer epic spanning 85 years of Spanish history, inspired by an unfinished work by poet Federico García Lorca and brought to the screen with breathtaking ambition — The Black Ball left Cannes audiences on their feet for 16 minutes, and it's easy to understand why.
The Black Ball opens in 1937, where a rural village loyal to Nationalist rebels is holding a celebration to welcome their Italian allies. Only, when the planes fly overhead, they strafe the villagers with bullets and send bombs whining down into buildings. One young man, Sebastián (the singer Guitarricadelafuente, making a promising acting debut), scrambles to safety, only to be conscripted into the fascist army.
Five years earlier, with revolution approaching, another young man, Carlos
(Milo Quifes), drowns his sorrows after being black-balled from his father’s social club due to unseemly rumours about his sexual proclivities.
And in 2017, a gay writer and historian, Alberto
(Carlos González), learns that a grandfather he didn’t know he had has left him something in his will — a document that will crucially link his story to the past. How these three plots intersect is the mystery of the film.
Nearly every shot is a carefully composed wonder, either an eye-popping still-life tableau or a breathtaking bit of camera movement, all done up in lush, expensive-looking period detail.
It is high time we had a gay war epic of this scope and soulfulness and invention.—
Richard Lawson, Hollywood Reporter
“Three narratives told across three timelines, each with a distinct visual identity... The screenplay is either perfect or pretty damn close...”—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire
Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) is an annual film festival that has been presented in New Zealand for 58 years, and in 2026, we’ll be celebrating our 50th year in Ōtautahi.
Set to take place from 6 – 23 August in three venues across Christchurch, including the iconic Isaac Theatre Royal, NZIFF is the place to see award-winning international cinema, New Zealand premieres, homegrown stories, and daring documentaries.
Directors, Screenplay: Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi, Spain/France 2025
Producers: Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi, Jorge Pezzi
Cinematography: Gris Jordana
Editor: Alberto Gutiérrez
Production Designer: Roger Bellés
Music: Raül Refree
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close, Lorenzo Zurzolo, Miguel Bernardeau, Julio Torres
Languages: Spanish with English subtitles
Festivals: Cannes 2026
Awards: Best Director, Cannes 2026
Running Times:
Times are approx. and subject to change at any time.
Film Runtime: 155 mins
Tour Dates:
Ticketek is selling for the following venues only
Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch
Fri 21, Sat 22, & Sun 23 Aug 2026
Big Girls Don’t Cry
Fri 21 Aug 2026, 6:00pm
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Fri 21 Aug 2026, 8:30pm
Whispers In The Woods
Sat 22 Aug 2026, 10:30am
Comédie-Française
Sat 22 Aug 2026, 12:45pm
Father Mother Sister Brother
Sat 22 Aug 2026, 2:30pm
Lomu
Sat 22 Aug 2026, 5:00pm
Fjord
Sat 22 Aug 2026,7:45pm
Kiri and Lou Go Raaa!
Sat 23 Aug 2026, 10:15am
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Sat 23 Aug 2026, 12:00pm
The Black Ball
Sat 23 Aug 2026, 2:15pm
Fatherland
Sat 23 Aug 2026, 5:30pm
Coward
Sat 23 Aug 2026, 7:30pm