The premiere of La bola negra has become one of the major cinematic events of the year. The new film by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi arrived in theaters this Friday amid enormous anticipation. On its first day of release, it grossed 1.32 million euros and drew 175,000 spectators, becoming the second-best opening for a Spanish film in the last decade. Additionally, the film has won the Audience Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival.
Initial reviews have also focused on the film’s ambition, addressing issues such as memory, desire, and the history of the LGTBIQ+ community in Spain, drawn from Federico García Lorca’s unfinished work. While some reviews have highlighted its visual power and its ability to move audiences, others have noted that its narrative ambition could work against it. Yet, among all the elements that have aroused curiosity, there is one that deserves special attention: the cinematic debut of Guitarricadelafuente, one of the film’s protagonists.
His casting was one of the most talked-about decisions of the project. The Javis bet on a musician without acting experience to bring Sebastián to life, a fundamental character in the story. A choice that raised doubts from the start and posed an inevitable question: what did the directors see in the singer to entrust him with such an important role?
A Questioned Choice
The artist’s choice did not come from a conventional casting process. The Javis met Guitarricadelafuente at Primavera Sound 2024, and from that encounter they began imagining him in the La bola negra universe. So much so that wrote the character of Sebastián with him in mind. They were not looking for an actor who could resemble the character, but for someone whose personality and sensitivity fit what they wanted to tell.
The decision also had to do with the very nature of the film. Guitarricadelafuente not only brought a distinct presence, but his musical career and his artistic universe connected with some of the themes running through the story. His relationship with music, the way he expresses himself, and his sensitivity were among the aspects that led the directors to place their trust in him.
Guitarricadelafuente as Sebastian in ‘La bola negra’
The Javis’ gamble on Guitarricadelafuente even generated doubts in Pedro Almodóvar. Javier Calvo has explained that, when they showed the script to the Manchego filmmaker, his reaction was cautious: “It’s beautiful, but let’s see…”. The director also warned of the difficulty of the role they had reserved for the singer. “It’s very hard what you have to do, I don’t know,” Almodóvar told Guitarricadelafuente himself.
Despite the doubts, the Javis were clear that they wanted him on board. To defend their choice, they recalled that Almodóvar had previously trusted artists without conventional acting careers, such as Rosario Flores in Talk to Her or Miguel Bosé in High Heels. A reference that shows that, at times, a director’s intuition can be above acting experience.
Javier Calvo has also explained what he found in the singer to trust him with such a complex role. For the director, music and acting share more common ground than it might seem at first glance. “Singing a song is telling a story,” he explained, alluding to Guitarricadelafuente’s ability to convey emotions through his voice and gestures. “When he decides to sing something softer, when he decides to look straight ahead, when he decides to look inward… all those decisions are acting choices.”
A Cinematic Debut Up to the Challenge
Taking on the role of Sebastián, however, meant facing a considerable challenge. Guitarricadelafuente had never worked as an actor and had to familiarise himself with a form of expression completely new to him. Still, his involvement in the project went beyond simply learning the script and following the directors’ directions. One anecdote that Javier Ambrossi shared during the film’s presentation had to do, precisely, with his commitment to the character.
Guitarricadelafuente as Sebastian in ‘La bola negra’
The singer proposed that his own mother portray Sebastián’s mother, a character who dies in one of the film’s most hard-hitting scenes. According to the directors, Guitarricadelafuente was convinced that if his mother appeared in that sequence, he would be able to truly move himself and cry. An anecdote that shows how deeply he immersed himself in the role and how he drew on his own experiences to build the character.
After seeing the result, it is undeniable that the Javis’ choice was a true triumph. Guitarricadelafuente delivers a natural and nuanced performance, in which his inexperience does not seem to be an obstacle. His Sebastián is a vulnerable, complex, and deeply human character, to whom the singer brings a sensitivity that fits with the film’s universe.
What initially could have seemed like a risky bet has ended up becoming one of the strengths of La bola negra. The Javis put their faith in someone who had never acted professionally and found in him the performer they needed. A decision that demonstrates that, at times, the best casting is not necessarily the one that gathers the most experience, but the one that manages to find the person capable of bringing a character to life.
