Los Javis filmmakers fight fascism and homophobia with ‘La Bola Negra’
Summary
Spanish directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrosi discuss their new film, La Bola Negra, which adapts the unfinished play by murdered gay poet Federico García Lorca. The film interweaves three timelines to explore the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals during the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship. The directors also reflect on their personal histories, their romantic breakup during production, and the importance of preserving queer heritage through storytelling.
Topics discussed
Sponsor and introduction to the film's setting
Overview of La Bola Negra's three timelines
Festival reception and cast introductions
How the directors discovered Federico García Lorca
Inheriting silence and pain from family history
Lorca's personal life and queer relationships
Researching and fictionalizing Lorca's world
Recreating Lorca's creative process and parties
Connecting with LGBTQ+ elders and community
Pride in community history and legacy
Privilege, freedom, and global persecution
The 1915 generation and the rise of fascism
Poetry as a weapon against intolerance
Javier Calvo's early realization of identity
Finding acceptance through an uncle's example
Identity versus sexual orientation in childhood
Playing a gay teen before coming out
Fiction as a rehearsal for real life
Meeting in New York and starting to write
Breakthrough with micro-theater and musicals
Realizing their collaborative power
Complementary skills and personal growth
Breaking up during the film's production
Honesty in art and the third storyline
Creating the series Veneno about a trans icon
Growing up as a parent to your parents
Future plans and closing remarks
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