New film releases ‘La Bola Negra’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Harlem’ receive critical attention

Two new film releases are garnering critical attention. ‘La Bola Negra’, directed by the Spanish creative duo Los Javis (Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi), utilizes three distinct narratives across different timelines to explore queer storytelling. Based on an unfinished play by Federico García Lorca, the film weaves together stories from 1932, 1937, and 2017, serving as a tribute to lost queer voices. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles on October 16, followed by a Netflix release on December 2.

In the documentary ‘Once Upon a Time in Harlem’, filmmakers William and David Greaves present an oral history of the Harlem Renaissance. The film utilizes 16mm footage captured at a 1972 cocktail party at Duke Ellington’s townhouse, where intellectuals and artists reflected on their experiences. Originally left unfinished at the time of William Greaves’ death in 2014, the project was completed by his family and is set to open in theaters on October 16.