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March 8, 2024
“Copa 71 (2023),” a documentary film about the pioneers of women’s football and the first-ever Women’s World Cup opened in UK and Irish cinemas today, for International Women’s Day. The theatrical debut of Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine’s film follows a successful international film festival run and it will continue to open in theaters around the world in the coming months.
Executive produced by tennis icons Serena and Venus Williams, and American soccer star Alex Morgan, the film unveils the untold story of the 1971 Women’s World Cup, a pivotal event held at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium. Masterminded by the Federation of Independent European Female Football, this forgotten tournament, often omitted from history, marked the inception of the first “unofficial” Women’s World Cup tournament, which spurred a revolution to grow women’s football.
Played without the blessing of FIFA or national football associations, the tournament featured teams from England, Argentina, Mexico, France, Denmark and Italy, coinciding with the lifting of decades-long bans on women’s football in countries like England, France and Germany.
Drawing over 100,000 fans to witness the final clash between Denmark and Mexico, the event proved a resounding success and response to sexism in the sport, with record-breaking crowds at all games—two decades before the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991. The positive treatment by fans in Mexico was in stark contrast to the reception to women’s football elsewhere.
The documentary sheds light on the challenges and misogyny faced by women football players at the time, who encountered unrelenting skepticism and dismissal from male-dominated football associations. FIFA, as depicted in the film, showed sexist resistance to the women’s game and banned the sport from football federation stadiums. When the event proved successful, FIFA and others essentially erased the history, until now.
“What’s a nice girl like you doing playing football?” asks a male interviewer in the film. “It’s a good joke,” says another man about the female athletes. The resilience of the players becomes evident as they navigate through a male-dominated landscape for their chance to play the “beautiful game” on the international stage, paving the way for the football players of today.
The impact of the documentary extends beyond the historical narrative. The FIFA Women’s World Cup is now a highly anticipated global event. Held every four years it has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years, evident in increased brand investments, sponsorships and broadcast figures. Global excitement for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, for example, reached nearly 41%, according to Nielsen Brand Tracker. The 2023 tournament also broke records for ticket sales, broadcast figures and digital media data.
The opening of the 90-minute documentary film is narrated by sports pioneer Serena Williams. Williams’ interest in football stems from her daughter Olympia’s love for the sport, which prompted Williams and her husband, Alex Ohanian, to co-found the Los Angeles-based Angel City FC. The film’s message also aligns closely with the Williams sisters’ activism on behalf of women athletes as two of the greatest athletes of all time. Copa 71 features original interviews with other women sports legends, recollections from athletes in attendance at 1971 games and archival footage from the tournament, being shown on screen for the first time.
“It was game-changing then and, 50 years later, still game-changing and more relevant than ever,” said Jannat Gargi, producer and former SVP of Documentaries for Westbrook. “It’s the kind of film we all endeavor to create – inspiring, uplifting and remarkable while shocking, shameful, and leaves one wondering how an event so momentous could be erased from the record books.”
Copa 71 stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of women in sports, highlighting a pivotal moment in women’s sports history that has remained unspoken for over 50 years. The film, an Official Selection of the 2023 Toronto and London film festivals, and Best Documentary nominee of the 2024 Palm Springs International Film Festival, among others, offers audiences a chance to learn about the captivating journey of women’s football through the origins of the Women’s World Cup. In the words of Serena Williams, “Copa 71 tells the story of one of the most inspirational and significant moments in women’s sports history.”
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