Thursday, December 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
Directors **Javier Calvo** and **Javier Ambrossi** in person Known as “Los Javis,” Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi have written, produced, and directed together some of the most sarcastic and provocative works in recent Spanish comedy, including *Holy Camp* (2017) and the hilarious TV series *Paquita Salas* (2016–2019). With *La bola negra*, they ambitiously deliver a cinematic epic inspired by Federico García Lorca’s homonymous unfinished work and Alberto Conejero’s play on the tragic destiny of Republican resistance fighter, actor, and footballer Rafael Rodríguez Rapún, a former lover of Lorca. With special appearances by Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, and starring singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente, *La bola negra* audaciously looks at the past and present of Spanish history, the traumatic period of the Spanish Civil War, and its consequences for the sentimental lives of families and secret lovers shaped by tales of resistance and oppression. 2026. Spain/France. Directed Javier Calvo, Javier Ambrossi. Screenplay by Calvo, Ambrossi, Alberto Conejero. With Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González. In Spanish; English subtitles. 160 min. **$10 Hammer members | $20 general admission** Current members, check your email for your link to buy tickets, or contact [membership@hammer.ucla.edu](mailto:membership@hammer.ucla.edu). General admission tickets go on sale Monday, November 2 at 11 a.m. Enhance your movie experience as a member! Hammer Members receive priority seating and half-off Contenders tickets—plus discounts at the museum store and Lulu restaurant. [BECOME A MEMBER](https://hammer.ucla.edu/support/membership) *MoMA Contenders 2026* is organized by The Museum of Modern Art, New York. This film program is organized by Rajendra Roy, the Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, Sean Egan, Senior Producer, Film Exhibitions and Projects, and Olivia Priedite, Film Program Coordinator, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Hammer Museum's presentation is made possible by The Billy and Audrey L. Wilder Foundation.