El Bola

Synopsis

A startling directorial debut from Achero Manas, EL BOLA is a vivid and powerful drama of young urban lives. El Bola 'Pellet' is a 12-year-old with a dark, disturbing secret and no friends, until new classmate Alfredo moves into the neighbourhood and reveals a wondrous new world that fleetingly offers joy and hope.

Truly accomplished on all levels, EL BOLA's real strength lies in the incredible performances from the young central duo of Juan Jose Ballesta (El Bola) and Pablo Galan (Alfredo).

The winner of four Goya Awards (Spanish Oscars), including Best Film, Best Emerging Director, Best Emerging Actor (Ballesta) and Best Original Screenplay, Manas also won the Fassbinder/European Discovery Award at the 2001 European Film Awards.

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Reviews

"A powerful drama... with a dark and disturbing secret"

THE GUARDIAN

"A brutal but brilliant portrayal... drum-tight... utterly unsentimental... The performances are terrific"

THE METRO

"fresh and wrenching tale of teenage friendship"

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

"grittingly convincing... a strikingly powerful movie... "El Bola" teases a truly remarkable performance from its lead actor, twelve-year-old Juan Jose Ballesta."

BBC MOVIES

"El Bola comes wreathed in awards... painful, convincingly acted, and well observed"

PHILIP FRENCH, THE OBSERVER

"An intriguing and painful story movingly told"

THE SUNDAY TIMES