In recent times, we’ve seen 1-2 foreign language films emanate from the Cannes Film Festival each year and then be repeatedly celebrated in Hollywood over awards season.  Recent examples include The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Emilia Pérez, Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest, Drive My Car, and Parasite.  The latest entry into that exclusive club is the Spanish drama La bola negra, which translates in English to “The Black Ball”.  After winning the best director prize at Cannes, it’s since been honoured with the audience-voted awards at the Toronto (a huge deal!) and Sydney film festivals.  It’s a sure bet to collect multiple Oscar nominations next year.

The hype is justified.  With the directing credit shared between Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, La bola negra is an ambitious epic spanning multiple locations and timeframes.  The 159-minute run time may sound exhausting but as it’s telling three different stories, in addition to other breakaway subplots, it moves as a quick pace and is never dull.  These narratives are interwoven with precision by editor Alberto Gutiérrez.

The first tale is set in 1932 and follows a young man (Quifes) from Granada.  It’s hard to say what’s more immaculate – his stylish dress sense or his pitch-perfect hair.  Pushed by his high-profile father, he’s trying to obtain membership at a lucrative casino but is being “black balled” because of his reported homosexuality.  The second anecdote is set not long after in 1937 as a reluctant soldier (Guitarricadelafuente) is tasked with guarding an injured, yet still valuable prisoner (Bernardeau) during the Spanish Civil War.  The pair become friends but it’s not long before stronger feelings are developed.

The final narrative brings us forward to 2017 were a semi-aimless writer/historian (González) receives a phone call advising that his previously grandfather, who he never knew about, has passed away.  After a heated debate with his mother (Lola Duenas), he travels by train to Cantabria to collect a mystifying inheritance.  All three stories are entrancing.  Each key character is battling internal demons and we, as the audience, get a stronger understanding of this with each passing scene.  That, combined with our curiosity about how the timeframes are intertwined, adds to the film’s power.

The cinematography of Goya Award winner Gris Jordana (Libertad) is another standout feature.  Utilising a mix of visual styles across the eras, Jordana captures many breathtaking moments – from an expansive shot of a suited man on a snow-covered mountain, through to the intense close-up of a nervous, sweaty soldier looking over the chiselled body of his undeniable crush.  The music and production design add more weight to the film’s artistic brilliance.

Based on an unfinished play by Spaniard Federico García Lorca, who you’re likely to do more reading about once the film’s layers are fully revealed, La bola negra is likely to find its way onto many 10 lists this year… my own included.