Spanish filmmakers Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi have ended their 13-year romantic relationship while completing their feature film La bola negra in Spain.
The prominent directing duo, known collectively as Los Javis, announced their separation in November 2025 after realizing during production that their personal and professional lives had become intertwined.
Despite the romantic split, the filmmakers have maintained their creative partnership as they prepare for the autumn release of their new movie.
In statements to El País Semanal, Ambrossi and Calvo explained that while they were no longer a couple, they remained family. They noted that their relationship now carries more admiration and less competition, allowing both of them to move forward.
Ambrossi confessed that he loves Calvo much more now and from a healthier place. He added that when a couple realizes they cannot continue, opening the door to change is the best step, as their shared work had begun to cloud their personal growth.
Before forming a romantic relationship more than 13 years ago, Ambrossi and Calvo were best friends. Ambrossi was born in Madrid in 1984, while Calvo was born in Murcia in 1991. Ambrossi is also the brother of Spanish actress Macarena García.
Personal challenges and public comments
Speaking on the television program La Revuelta with host David Broncano during one of his first solo appearances earlier in the year, Ambrossi detailed the mental health toll of the relationship. He said he had reached a point where he no longer knew who he was or where Calvo began.
Ambrossi encouraged television viewers to leave any relationship where they are no longer happy, noting that stepping out of one's comfort zone is necessary for personal renewal.
The pair previously created acclaimed Spanish television series including Paquita Salas between 2016 and 2019, Veneno in 2020, and the 2023 drama La Mesías, which featured the fictional pop group Stella Maris. In La Mesías, actress Irene Balmes played the young character Resurrección, who was played in adulthood by Macarena García.
Reflecting on that theme of rebirth, the directors have applied the concept of resurrection to their own lives. They continue to expand their creative brand using their distinct queer perspective on ambition and tolerance.
Festival success for La bola negra
Their new feature film, La bola negra, is scheduled to open in cinemas on September 25. It marks their second feature film following their debut movie La llamada eight years earlier.
The film won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival ahead of its theatrical debut, receiving a 20-minute standing ovation from the festival audience. It has also entered early prediction lists for the 2027 Academy Awards.
The project originated on an airplane when Calvo began reading the book La piedra oscura by Alberto Conejero. Captivated by the opening lines, he discussed the work with Ambrossi, and the pair acquired the available screen rights.
The movie interweaves three separate storylines set across different time periods, drawing inspiration from an unfinished play by 20th-century Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. Described by the creators as a story of love and war that refrains from preaching, specific plot details remain under wraps to preserve the element of surprise for moviegoers.
Cast details and international distribution
Oscar-winning actress Penélope Cruz makes a fundamental 15-minute appearance in the film. Cruz praised the project in Vogue, describing it as a powerful movie in the hands of geniuses that touches a universal place in the heart where everyone speaks the same language.
American actress Glenn Close, a fan of La Mesías and Los Javis, also makes a special collaboration in the movie. The ensemble cast features Miguel Bernardeau as Lorca's last lover, Rafael Rodríguez Rapún, alongside Lola Dueñas and musician Guitarricadelafuente, who makes his acting debut as the character Sebastián.
Produced as a Movistar Plus+ original film, La bola negra will be distributed in cinemas across 50 countries and will stream on Netflix in the United States.
The directors created their production company, Suma Content, in 2021. Their upcoming pipeline includes an international co-production as external producers, two new television series, and preliminary plans for a third feature film.
