Directed by Isabel Achaval, Chiara Bondi • Documentary • 2022 • 83 minutes
On the outskirts of Rome, six teams compete in the women’s soccer championship, the Las Leonas Trophy. All recent immigrants to Italy—the majority from South America—the participants work busy lives as caregivers and house cleaners throughout the city.
LAS LEONAS follows the daily struggles, dreams, and frustrations of these women; each with their own story of emigration and family history, but united by a shared passion for soccer. Amidst the pressures of work and loneliness of adapting to life in a foreign country, the championship offers a vital source of freedom and social belonging. From seasoned players to newbies, the women of LAS LEONAS find themselves transformed on the soccer field as the demands of daily life fade into the background with the liberating rush of comradery and competition.
“A film that gives 80 minutes of hope.” —La Repubblica
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