Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi win Best Director at Cannes for Lorca adaptation
Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known as Los Javis, won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival for their film 'La bola negra', based on an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca. The film centers on Lorca's homosexuality. In their acceptance speech, they stated that fascism killed Lorca for being gay, sparking controversy in Spain. An Instagram post by a commentator defended their remarks, arguing that highlighting the historical persecution of homosexuals in Spain is not rewriting history but exposing it to light. The post read: 'Lorca was killed for having the audacity to proudly exhibit the splendor of his difference; that is, because he was everything a fascist hates: a man.'
Key facts
- Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi won Best Director at Cannes for 'La bola negra'.
- The film is based on an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca.
- The film reivindicates Lorca's homosexuality as central.
- Los Javis stated that fascism killed Lorca for being gay.
- Their statement caused controversy in Spain.
- An Instagram post defended their remarks about historical persecution of homosexuals.
- The post argued that exposing persecution is not rewriting history.
- Lorca was killed for being everything a fascist hates, according to the post.
Entities
Artists
- Javier Calvo
- Javier Ambrossi
- Federico García Lorca
Institutions
- Cannes Film Festival
Locations
- Cannes
- France
- Spain