A new biopic tells the story of Anita Carmona Ruiz, the Spanish soccer player who disguised herself as a man to play the beautiful game on the men's side. Carmona Ruiz – who was also known as Neta or Felita – played the game in the 1920s when female participation was unacceptable. A film about the life of the Andalusian sports star is under development.
It hails from LaLiga Studios, a joint venture between the Spanish Football League and the Iberian division of production and distribution giant Banijay. It is a partnership with Spanish labels Blend Studios and M Content.
The project is based on the work of author and journalist Jesús Hurtado, who revealed the full story of Villetta in 2020, 80 years after her death. The sporting icon played for Malaga. She died in 1940 at the age of 32.
“Our goal is to make a film that moves, mobilizes and tells to the whole world the practically unknown story of Anita Carmona,” said Paco Torres, project director and co-screenwriter with Amaya Morozábal.
Morozábal said that Feletta was “the world's first women's footballer” and “an exceptionally combative and determined person, a character rarely seen on the big screen.”
Drama and entertainment series based on sports stars and their franchises remain very popular. Banijay recently created Banijay Iberia Sports, a division for the creation and development of sports-related content, led by Gonzalo Miro.
Meanwhile, LaLiga Studios announced a deal to create a drama series set in the world of Spain's elite football, and signed a deal with Hollywood production company MTP, led by Mike Tolin, for a yet-to-be-titled entertainment series featuring football stars. .
“We always talk about those stories that are worth telling,” says Chalo Bonifacino Cook, 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, and homophobia…and sometimes, fiction is the best way to tell the truth.
