The best original song Oscar race — which already includes offerings from the likes of Taylor Swift and Travis Scott — just got a little more crowded: “La Nieve,” a Spanish-language tune featured in a key scene of Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s La Bola Negra, the Cannes breakout that Netflix acquired for an awards run, is being submitted for best original song Oscar consideration, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned.
La Bola Negra chronicles three generations of Spaniards linked together by the last, unfinished play of the great Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, in whose work snow is a recurring element, particularly when exploring grief and loss. “La Nieve,” which translates to “The Snow,” plays over an emotional snow-set scene late in the film.
The song was co-written, with Raül Refree, and is performed in the film, by Álvaro Lafuente Calvo, aka Guitarricadelafuente, a 28-year-old multi-platinum recording artist and Latin Grammy nominee. Guitarricadelafuente also makes a highly impressive acting debut in the film as Sebastián, a Nationalist soldier who is tasked with guarding a Republican soldier (Miguel Bernardeau), with whom he forms a special bond, during the Spanish Civil War.
Guitarricadelafuente, who is currently on tour promoting his most recent album, Spanish Leather, and who recently performed his song “BABIECA!” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, could become only the fifth person to land acting and songwriting Oscar nominations for the same film. The feat previously was accomplished by Mudbound’s Mary J. Blige (2018), A Star Is Born’s Lady Gaga (2019), Harriet’s Cynthia Erivo (2020) and One Night in Miami’s Leslie Odom Jr. (2021).
Earlier this month, Netflix revealed that La Bola Negra will be given a platform theatrical release in U.S. theaters starting on Oct. 16 and will subsequently begin streaming on Dec. 2. That 47-day period of theatrical exclusivity before streaming will be the longest yet for any Netflix film, surpassing the 31-day period accorded to Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story in 2019.
Guitarricadelafuente
