Reinas del Balón
2023 · 13m · España
Directed by Paloma García
Genres: biography, documentary, sports
Tones: contemplative, provocative
From the pioneers who paved the way to the current players who continue breaking stereotypes, this documentary is a testimony of human resilience and a call to action for a fairer future in sport.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Women's sports docs are having a moment, sure, but this one trades subversion for the expected narrative arc—resilience, breaking stereotypes, call to action. It's competent testimony, not the kind of film that makes you question what a sports story even is.
García locates this film in a clear lineage of sports documentaries concerned with social progress and archival witness, and the formal rigor—moving between historical footage and contemporary voices—situates it thoughtfully within that tradition; the editing rhythm honors both the historical weight and the urgency of the present moment.
The decision to interweave pioneer testimony with current players' voices creates a specific temporal texture that elevates what could be a straightforward advocacy piece into something architecturally more interesting—that layering of eras does the thematic work without announcement.