A new biopic will tell the story of Anita Carmona Ruiz, the Spanish soccer player who disguised herself as a man to play the beautiful game on men’s sides. Carmona Ruiz – who was also known as Nita or Veleta – played the game in the 1920s when female participation was frowned upon. The film of the Andalusian sports star’s life is in development.
It hails from LaLiga Studios, which is a joint-venture between Spain’s top soccer league and the Iberian division of production and distribution giant Banijay. It is partnering with Spanish labels Blend Studios and M Content.
The project is based on the work of author and journalist Jesús Hurtado, who uncovered the full story of Veleta in 2020, 80 years on from her death. The sporting icon played for Málaga. She died in 1940, aged 32.
“Our goal is to make a film that moves, mobilizes, and tells the whole world the practically unknown story of Anita Carmona” said Paco Torres, the project’s director and co-screenwriter with Amaya Muruzábal.
Muruzábal said Veleta was “the world’s first women’s footballer” and “an exceptionally combative and determined character, a figure rarely seen on the big screen.”
Drama and entertainment series based on sports stars and franchises remain popular. Banijay has recently created Banijay Iberia Sports, a division to create and develop sports-related content, led by Gonzalo Miró.
LaLiga Studios, meanwhile, has announced a deala to create a drama series set in the world of elite Spanish soccer, and inked an agreement with Hollywood production company MTP, led by Mike Tollin, for an as-yet-unamed entertainment series featuring soccer stars.
“We always talk about those stories that deserve to be told,” said says Chalo Bonifacino Cooke, CEO of LaLiga Studios. “We are here to talk about those issues that we all know need to be discussed. Football still [lags behind] on issues like racism, sexism, homophobia… and sometimes, fiction is the best vehicle to tell a truth.”
