Madonna recommended "La bola negra" on Sunday to her more than 20.5 million Instagram followers, boosting the profile of the film directed by the Spanish filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known popularly as the Javis. In a story posted on her profile, the singer shared an image of the feature accompanied by a message inviting her audience not to miss it, adding her voice to the international enthusiasm surrounding the production during the US awards season.
The endorsement follows a notable commercial debut in the United States, where the film became the second-best limited opening in cinemas for a non-English-language Netflix production. It grossed 277,500 dollars in its first weekend across just four theaters in Los Angeles and New York, an average of 69,375 dollars per screen. The title is now showing in around 300 theaters ahead of its global arrival on the platform on December 2.
Netflix acquired the film at the Cannes Film Festival for close to five million dollars. It follows the lives of three gay men in 1932, 1937 and 2017 through interwoven stories shaped by the figure of the poet Federico Garcia Lorca.
Spain's Film Academy has selected "La bola negra" to represent the country at the Oscars in the best international feature category, and the film continues to collect recognition on the North American circuit. In early October, the Critics Choice Association awarded its best direction prize to Calvo and Ambrossi, and this week the production added a nomination for the audience award at the Gotham Awards, where the musician Guitarricadelafuente will also compete for the breakthrough performer honor for his acting debut.
Sources: La Vanguardia.