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⏱ 2 min read
💡 TLDR
Forget boring studio sets—Los Javis are ditching green screens for gritty, abandoned real-world locations. Expect high-fashion sensuality and unhinged costume design that blends historical grit with pure cinematic drama.
La Bola Negra is officially entering a whole new dimension. While filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi—the iconic duo known as Los Javis—have always been masters of queer storytelling, their new epic feels massive. Inspired by poet Federico García Lorca, the film follows three gay men across 1932, 1937, and 2017 who are all tied together by an unfinished play. It’s giving historical depth mixed with high-fashion fantasy, and it is anything but your basic Pinterest-board period piece.
Real Locations Over Studio Sets
Production designer Roger Bellés made a very intentional choice to ditch the artificial studio vibe for something much more human. Instead of building everything from scratch, he hunted down real, abandoned locations that felt lived-in and authentic. For the 1937 sequence, the team found a village on the border between Cantabria and Burgos that had actually changed hands during the Spanish Civil War. We built our new town on the ruins of the other one, using parts of things existing, restoring some sites that were abandoned, and doing a lot of field work. This grit shows up everywhere—from a bombed church where someone scales a saintly statue to a dilapidated cinema used for cabaret. Bellés even noted that working outside meant actors could feel the actual sun and wind, rather than just sitting under air conditioning near a green screen.
💫 We built our new town on the ruins of the other one, using parts of things existing, restoring some sites that were abandoned, and doing a lot of field work.
High Fashion Meets Historical Grit
The costume design by Ana Cobos is equally unhinged in the best way possible. She didn’t just aim for accuracy; she aimed for sensuality. For the 2017 timeline, she drew inspiration from Xavier Dolan’s Matthias & Maxime, outfitting Alberto’s mother in revealing tanks like a working-class mom from a Dolan film, while styling Alberto himself after Philip Seymour Hoffman. When it comes to the 1930s, Cobos swapped out “dead” military greens for richer tones inspired by Claire Denis’s Beau Travail. Even the men’s tailoring was elevated, with in-house expert Mario Vidal cutting Carlos’s jackets with wide shoulders and tight waists for extra drama. Whether it’s Penélope Cruz in an embellished white gown or custom-made bandages designed to flatter Miguel Bernardeau’s physique, every single look is meticulously crafted to ensure the characters’ desire is palpable.
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❓ People Also Ask
What is the plot of the film La Bola Negra?
La Bola Negra is an epic period drama that follows the lives of three gay men across three distinct timelines in 1932, 1937, and 2017. These characters are all connected through an unfinished play inspired by the works of poet Federico García Lorca. The film blends historical depth with high-fashion fantasy to create a narrative that explores desire and human connection through different eras of Spanish history.
How did the production designers create an authentic setting for the movie?
Production designer Roger Bellés achieved an authentic atmosphere by using real, abandoned locations instead of artificial studio sets. The team traveled to a village on the border of Cantabria and Burgos that had historical significance during the Spanish Civil War to film the 1937 sequences. This approach allowed the production to use ruins, restored sites, and dilapidated buildings like a bombed church and a crumbling cinema to provide a lived-in grit.
What inspired the costume design in La Bola Negra?
The costume design by Ana Cobos was inspired by a mix of cinematic references and a desire to emphasize sensuality rather than just historical accuracy. For the 2017 timeline, the designs drew influence from Xavier Dolan’s Matthias & Maxime, while the 1930s looks utilized rich tones inspired by Claire Denis’s Beau Travail. Every garment, from Penélope Cruz’s embellished white gown to custom-tailored jackets, was crafted to make the characters' desire feel palpable.
Why did the filmmakers choose to film on location instead of in a studio?
Filmmakers chose to work in real locations to capture a sense of human grit and authenticity that studio sets cannot replicate. By utilizing actual ruins and abandoned sites, the production designer ensured that the environments felt truly lived-in and historically grounded. Additionally, filming outdoors provided practical benefits for the performers, allowing the actors to experience natural elements like the actual sun and wind rather than working under air conditioning near green screens.
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📰 Source: Vogue