A movie about the world's first female footballer, Veleta, the first major filming project to hit Malaga this year

This epic tale of the first all-female Spanish national football team won the People's Choice Award at this year's Malaga Film Festival. But the story of those players - as talented as they were courageous - who stood up to the Franco regime, society and their own families, is not the only hidden sporting tale we have yet to tell.

The origins of those footballers and of the current world champions can be traced back a century to the figure of Anita Carmona (Málaga, 1908–1940) , the pioneer of pioneers.

In the 1920s, 'Nita' disguised herself as a man to defy the conventions of her time and do what she did best: outmanoeuvre her fate and social conventions. Now filming of the much-anticipated movie about this historic figure, titled after the pseudonym behind which she hid her name - Veleta - has begun in Malaga.

Behind this project is director Paco Torres (known for The Magic of Hope and Saol), who for several weeks has already been working on rehearsals with the actors, having completed both the location scouting for the film and the auditions to select the cast, which took place in both Malaga and Madrid.

As the filmmaker explained to SUR, the film will be shot in Malaga city, but also at other locations across the province, as the Capuchinos neighbourhood where Nita Carmona grew up and other parts of the city «have changed so much» that they no longer reflect the setting of the story a century ago.

The filmmaker confirmed on his social media accounts some of the locations that will feature in the film. A number of very picturesque spots have been selected, such as the Balcón de la Axarquía viewpoint in Comares and the iconic drinking trough in Alfarnatejo, known as the Fuente del Conejo.

In addition, they have also found a number of locations in the city centre that will allow them to recreate Malaga as it was a century ago, such as the Church of the Holy Trinity in the Bailén-Miraflores district and the former provincial prison at Cruz de Humilladero.

The uniqueness of this latter location has made it one of the most sought-after spots for national and international productions in recent years, as seen in the feature films 321 Days in Michigan and Between Two Waters, and the series Black Mirror, We Were the Lucky Ones and Warrior Nun. Veleta will now join this list of productions.

Co-produced by M Content, Nephilim Producciones and Blend Studios, director Paco Torres explains that the inspiring story of Nita Carmona - based on the research of journalist Jesús Hurtado - is more than just a 'biopic'.

«It's a universal story because we're actually talking about the world's first female footballer; there are no records of anything similar or of other female players until around the 1940s,» the director and former president of the Andalusian filmmakers' association (Cina) explains to SUR. He also visited La Rosaleda during the pre-production of Veleta and applauds Malaga CF's recent and «well-deserved» promotion to the Primera División.

«Nita Carmona started playing for Sporting Club de Málaga, the predecessor of the current team,» recalls Torres, who has become one of the leading experts on the life of this woman who disguised herself as a man to play football.

Part of her charade was her nickname, Veleta - a moniker apparently given to her by Francisco Míguez, the priest, founder and first manager of Sporting Club, when he met the young woman and «saw how quickly she changed to become a man», according to the director.

«That girl was determined to play football when everyone, including her family, was against it,» says Paco Torres, adding that this «silenced» story of «survival and courage» - like that of so many women - goes beyond the realm of sport.

«It's a film that tells the story of the journey from the age of 17 to 29, from a girl to a woman, and addresses gender inequality and injustice,» adds the director and screenwriter, who believes that, although times have changed, the feminist struggle remains as relevant as ever.

The cast of Veleta will include young actors from Malaga, following auditions held in the city to find boys and girls to play alongside the lead actress during her early years as a footballer.

Paco Torres's film, which also has the support of Canal Sur, Malaga Film Office, the Malaga provincial council and the Ministry of Culture's Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts, will also mark the first major fiction film shoot of the year in the city, while filming is also scheduled to take place in Marbella this July for scenes from the sixth and final season of the popular Netflix series Machos Alfa.