A goal for equality: it's a wrap for ‘Veleta’, the film about Nita Carmona, a pioneer of women’s football from Malaga

At the old football ground in Torrox, which has been closed for over two decades but still has its clay pitch intact, the film crew managed by Paco Torres re-enacted, on Wednesday 13 August, the matches in which the player, who was born in the city in 1908 and who died in 1940, dressed as a man so that she could enjoy her great passion.

The lead actress, Zoe Bonafonte, dressed in period costume, mingled amongst dozens of players whilst the coaching staff gave orders non-stop. During a break from the gruelling shoot, which was filled with umbrellas and awnings to provide shelter from the scorching sun, the director summarised for SUR the spirit of the project that had captivated him.

“Our aim is to make a film that moves the audience, inspires them and brings to light the largely unknown story of Anita Carmona,” said Torres, who explained that ‘Veleta’ is as much a sports drama as it is a portrait of a woman who was ahead of her time. Discovered by the Vélez-based journalist Jesús Hurtado more than 25 years ago – who initially posted it on his blog – Carmona’s incredible story gained widespread media attention following a report by SUR published in February 2018.

Executive producer Marta Rangel said, “There were women who paved the way long before the world was ready to recognise them. Nita was one of them." Rangel went on to say, “‘Veleta’ story stems from the need to look back and understand that many of the freedoms we enjoy today began with women who refused to accept the place they had been assigned."

Zoe Bonafonte, nominated for a Goya for ‘El 47’, takes on her first major leading role with Veleta. The actress admits that the character has left a lasting impression on her: “I was drawn to the whole story. Her strength, her determination and the energy she possessed encouraged me to embody the character.”

“Nita didn’t just fight to play football; she fought to decide who she wanted to be,” Bonafonte told SUR, aware that the story resonates just as much with the generations who knew football when it was a man’s game as it does with today’s generations, who saw Spain's women crowned world champions in the summer of 2023.

On the clay pitch in Torrox Bonafonte was joined by Marina Tomás, a player for Málaga CF Women’s team, who appears some scenes as the lead actress’s stand-in. During Wednesday’s session, the footballer was particularly close to the actress and the rest of the team, bringing the authenticity of someone who knows the game from the inside and, almost a century later, extending the link between Nita’s story and the present-day Málaga club. “Dani Rovira and Adelfa Calvo have also helped me a lot with the accent,” said Bonafonte.

The project, co-produced by Blend Studios, M Content, Nephilim Producciones and Lahaye Media, is funded by RTVA, backed by the ICAA and supported by Malaga's provincial authority, the Diputación de Málaga and Málaga CF, which has been involved in promotional activities from the outset.

As well as Bonafonte, the cast includes Dani Rovira, who plays the protagonist’s father and names such as Javier Morgade, Martín Urrutia, Adelfa Calvo, Mariola Fuentes, Eric Masip and Moe Dunford, among others, in an ensemble cast that blends Andalusian talent with actors of international renown.

“It’s been brilliant; it’s visually stunning,” says Torres, who points out that his grandmother, who was from Antequera, knew Anita Carmona. “She was the first woman to face homophobia in sport, because she had to disguise herself as a man to be able to play,” he added. A real triumph for equality and women’s rights.

Filming, which began in July, has taken place at locations in Malaga city including the Calzada de la Trinidad and the former Cruz de Humilladero prison and at locations across the province, including Villanueva de Cauche, Coín, Comares and the port of Motril. These locations were chosen to recreate the atmosphere of a century ago, when football was beginning to gain popularity and the mere fact that a woman took to the pitch represented a major social challenge.

Nita Carmona’s story had already sparked considerable interest in Malaga before it made it to the big screen. In 2023, SUR reported how Nita disguised herself as a man to play for teams such as Sporting Club de Málaga, Gimnástica Trinitaria and Vélez CF, defying the machismo and reprisals of her time. The film now draws on that biography to turn it into a story of survival and courage.

In Torrox, the old football ground has served as a sort of time capsule. The dust of the clay pitch and the stands filled with dozens of extras dressed in period costumes have enabled the team to reconstruct the matches in which the protagonist mingled amongst the players as one of them, whilst the burden of her secret rests with her teammates, as detailed in the historical research by Jesús Hurtado and the screenplay written by Paco Torres and Amaya Muruzábal.

The director explains that, although the game features heavily in many scenes, ‘Veleta’ goes beyond sport. “We’re telling the story of a woman who was determined to play football when everyone, including her family, tried to stop her,” said the Seville-born filmmaker. The film explores the transition from adolescence to adulthood, inequality and injustice and engages with current debates on the role of women in sport and society. “I hope we can make people aware that this happened and create a point of reference for many people; that people watch the story and realise it actually happened,” said the lead actress.

With filming complete and the premiere scheduled for 2027, Veleta aims to move audiences and remind them that Nita Carmona’s life continues to resonate with today’s women’s football and the fight for gender equality.

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