La Bola negra. 2026. Spain/France. Directed by Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi. Screenplay by Calvo, Ambrossi, Alberto Conejero. With Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González. DCP courtesy Netflix. In Spanish; English subtitles. 160 min.
Known as “Los Javis,” Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi have written, produced, and directed some of the most sarcastic and provocative works in recent Spanish comedy, including Holy Camp (2017) and the hilarious TV series Paquita Salas (2016–19). With La Bola negra, they deliver a cinematic epic inspired by Federico García Lorca’s eponymous unfinished work and Alberto Conejero’s play about the tragic destiny of Republican resistance fighter, actor, and footballer Rafael Rodríguez Rapún, a former lover of Lorca. With special appearances by Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, and starring singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente, La Bola negra takes an audacious look at Spain’s past and present through the lens of the traumatic period of the Spanish Civil War, and its consequences for the sentimental lives of families and secret lovers shaped by tales of resistance and oppression.
Tickets are available to members at the Explore category and above beginning two weeks before each screening date. Additional tickets will be released to members and the general public one week before each screening date. Please note that space is extremely limited and tickets will be in high demand. Tickets can be reserved at moma.org/contenders beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET.
For the Contenders series, due to limited availability, members at the Explore category and above receive two free tickets per membership.
If a screening is sold out, a standby line will form one hour before the start time. If you are a ticket holder and arrive after the scheduled start time, we cannot guarantee entry.