Some films announce themselves with confidence. Others quietly cast a spell. La bola negra does both. One of the most talked-about films to emerge from Cannes, where Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi shared the Best Director award, this sweeping drama is an astonishing act of cinematic ambition, weaving together three interconnected stories spanning nearly a century into a deeply moving meditation on memory, love, and the lives history tried to erase. Rooted in one of Federico García Lorca's last unfinished works, the film moves between wartime Spain and the present, gradually revealing the emotional threads connecting lives marked by bloodshed, persecution, and the quiet wounds left by intolerance. This beautifully constructed narrative asks us to stay attentive while rewarding every connection it reveals. With exquisite cinematography that often recalls the richness of a carefully composed painting, La bola negra is ambitious without ever losing its emotional core, quietly building toward one of the year's most moving and unforgettable cinematic experiences. —João Federici

La Bola Negra headlines this year's Spotlight presentation for ¡Viva el Cine!, CAFILM's celebration of cinema from Latin America and Spain alongside Latinx voices from the United States. Written, directed, and produced by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who will join the festival in person, the film is a striking showcase of the bold, inventive storytelling ¡Viva el Cine! was built to champion.