Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz’s Another League chronicles the rebellious birth of women’s football during the waning years of Francisco Franco’s difficult dictatorship in the early 1970s. Spain won the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and are now the reigning world champions.
“Another League,” distributed internationally by Filmax, will premiere in competition at the Malaga Film Festival.
Based on fact, the film depicts an ambitious sports promoter, played by Daniel Ibáñez (The Saturn Return), and a group of young, flashy-legged girls who team up to create a national women’s soccer league, breaking down barriers in the face of massive social and political opposition for what at the time was considered primarily an “unfeminine act.”
The story immediately inspired Díaz and co-writer Zebina Guerra.
“My co-writer Zebina Guerra and I first learned about the true story of the pioneers through producer Jesús Uredo,” Díaz recalls. “From the beginning, we found the story of very young women fascinating, girls who stood up to the Franco regime through something as innocent and symbolically masculine as soccer. This story inspired us because it represented and allowed us to look back on the long journey that women had to go through to gain the rights we have today. In a way, we wanted to honor them and tell their story to a wider audience.”
Díaz came across interviews and news reports about pioneer women, but she added that the story was not well known in Spain. “That was one of the main motivations for making this film, to make sure their stories are told. Especially at a time when Spanish women’s football is experiencing such a special moment, it’s important to know where we come from.”
In developing the film, Diaz recalled her own passion for soccer as a child, allowing her to empathize with the girls’ struggles.
“As a child, I loved playing soccer at school. Interestingly, while writing this film, I was the only girl playing with the boys, so I recalled many somewhat contradictory memories. Even though I was very young, I always had the feeling that I was doing something that I was not supposed to do, that was not meant for me.”
“When I read interviews with real pioneers, I realized that many of the insults they suffered were the same ones I had heard in the school playground. That’s how I found a personal connection to this story. Even though there were many years between them and me, emotionally I felt very close to their experiences.”
The political background of the story and the repressive Franco era became an integral part of the story explored.
“From the moment we started creating the context for the film, we felt it was essential to portray the historical background: the role of women during the Franco dictatorship, the existence of the Sexión Femenina, a regime institution that defined what women should be, and the Servicio Social, which was essentially a military-style service where women were trained to be good housewives,” Díaz explains. “Including this context was critical to highlighting the accomplishments of the pioneers and the courage of those who supported them.”
Despite the historical setting, the story is still very relevant today, she added.
“‘Another League’ is a film that looks to the past with a keen awareness of the present. In times like the ones we live in, when some look back nostalgically at dark periods in history, it’s important to remember everything we had to fight to secure the rights we enjoy today. It’s essential to know where we come from in order to cherish what we have and continue to move forward. That recognition was very strongly present throughout the making of ‘Another League.’
Although Díaz and Guerra’s screenplay is based on a true story, the film fictionalizes real people and events, including the role of sports promoter Javier Poga (played by Ibáñez), who was based on the real-life Rafael Muga, Spain’s first women’s national soccer team coach.
“The film is rooted in real events that frame the story and provide a historical foundation,” Diaz points out. “During the research for the script, we had the opportunity to speak with Rafael Muga himself, which really helped us. His experiences inspired us to create a fictional story that captures as closely as possible the emotional truth of his life with the pioneers.”
Casting the film wasn’t easy, but the director ended up putting together an impressive ensemble that included Sofia de Iznajar, Bruna Lucadamo, Nora Ochoteco, Aisha Villagran (The Red Madonna), José Troncoso, Leyre Aguiar, Lorea Carballo, Miriam Rubio, Elena Irureta (Patria), and Jordi Sanchez.
“It was a long and complicated process. We were very determined to find actresses who had at least a basic knowledge of football. They didn’t have to be professional players. We went through a special training process before filming, but we felt it was important that they already had some familiarity with football.”
Casting directors Florencia Inés González and Chave Acha “did a great job,” Díaz emphasizes. “We looked at a lot of young actresses before finding our lead character, and in the end we assembled a great cast who are passionate and extremely talented.”
She also praised the crew for creating the film’s 1970s vintage look.
“We were very fortunate to work with an incredibly talented team. The look of this film is the result of a collaboration between cinematographer María Codina, production designer Claudia González, and costume designer Cristina Rodriguez. Together, we created a visual identity that transports audiences to the early 1970s while feeling vivid and relevant to modern audiences.”
Looking forward, Diaz is currently writing a script that he hopes to turn into his next movie. “I can’t say much because it’s still in its early stages, but it depicts the complicated relationship between a mother and her son.”
For Filmax, Diaz’s film looks set to be a big crowd-pleaser. “‘Another League’ is a story about having the courage to dream, even when everything seems against you,” said Ivan Diaz, Filmax’s head of international. “At a time when women are making history in every field, when Spain is the current world champion and has some of the most talented players on its team, this heartwarming film celebrates those who paved the way with passion, courage and freedom.”
Another League is produced by Cine365 Films, Nadie es Perfecto, Ciudadano Ciskul and Portuguese shingle company Bando À Parte.
