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www.pbs.org/pov

DISCUSSION GUIDe

Ella Es El Matador(She Is the Matador)A film by Gemma Cubero and Celeste Carrasco

P.O.V. Seaso

n22

SPAIN, AUGUST 2009

Dear Viewer,

Bullfighting is the quintessential symbol of masculinity and bravery in Spanish culture. As two people born and raised in

Spain, we saw making this documentary about female matadors as a way of changing this symbol and shifting gender roles

that have been defined for centuries. Making the film has also been a personal journey of exploring and questioning a culture.

As we worked on the film for eight years, our goal was to create an intuitive, provocative and intimate film. Our intention in

this, our directorial debut, is to open a window for viewers to enter into a unique world without judgment, focusing on the

universal struggle of our two protagonists.

Gemma Cubero and Celeste Carrasco,

Filmmakers, ella es el matador (she is the matador)

© American Documentary, Inc. 2

Letter frOm the fiLmmakers

DISCUSSION GUIDe

Ella Es El Matador (She Is the Matador)

Seaso

n 22

Filmmakers Gemma Cubero and Celeste Carrasco.

Photo courtesy of Talcual Films

4 Introduction

5 Potential Partners

5 Key Issues

5 Using This Guide

6 Background Information

6 Bullfighting History

9 Women in Bullfighting

11 Selected People Featured

in Ella Es El Matador

12 General Discussion Questions

13 Discussion Prompts

16 Taking Action

17 Resources

20 How to Buy the Film

writer

Faith Rogow, PhD

Insighters Educational Consulting

research editor

Daniel McDermon

P.O.V.

eliza Licht

Director,

Community Engagement and Education, P.O.V.

Jessica Lee

Outreach and Development Coordinator, P.O.V.

Design: Rafael Jiménez

Copy editor: Natalie Danford

thanks to those who reviewed this guide:

Gemma Cubero

Filmmaker, Ella Es El Matador

Celeste Carrasco

Filmmaker, Ella Es El Matador


tabLe Of COntents

DISCUSSION GUIDe


Seaso

n 22Credits, aCknOwLedgements

For Spaniards — and for the world — nothing has expressed

their country’s traditionally rigid gender roles more power-

fully than the image of the male matador. So central was the

bullfighter’s masculinity to Spanish identity that a 1908 law

barred women from the sport. ella es el matador (she is the

matador), an hour-long documentary, reveals the surprising

history of the women who made such a law necessary and

offers fascinating profiles of two female matadors: the ac-

claimed Mari Paz Vega and neophyte eva Florencia. These

women are gender pioneers by necessity. Their common

threads include a deep passion for bullfighting and an

equally deep frustration over the entrenched culture of dis-

crimination against women in the ring.

By looking at women, ella es el matador (she is the

matador) adds another layer of controversy to the already

controversial ritual that is modern bullfighting. In the

process, the film can serve as an outreach tool to explore

classic feminist questions: Does the courage displayed by fe-

male bullfighters, by definition, make them agents of social

change? And does women’s participation in the sport chal-

lenge the essence of bullfighting as a celebration of

machismo, or are women strengthening classic notions of

masculinity by claiming the right to express machismo them-

selves? The questions provide viewers with a rich opportu-

nity to examine their own beliefs about gender roles and

what they see as appropriate boundaries in a changing

world.


intrOduCtiOn

DISCUSSION GUIDe


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n 22

Mari Paz Vega in the bullring at Zaragoza.


ella es el matador (she is the matador) is well suited for

use in a variety of settings and is especially recommended

for use with:

• your local Pbs station

• groups that have discussed previous Pbs and

P.O.V. films relating to women in traditionally

male domains, including Chisholm ’72 and

Lioness.

• groups focused on any of the issues listed in the

key issues section

• high school students

• faith-based organizations and institutions

• Cultural, art and historical organizations,

institutions and museums

• Civic, fraternal and community groups

• academic departments or student groups at

colleges, universities and high schools

• Community organizations with a mission to

promote education and learning, such as local

libraries

ella es el matador is an excellent tool for outreach and

will be of special interest to people interested in the

following topics:

• animal rights

• bullfighting

• Cultural expression

• dance

• feminism

• gender

• machismo

• Performance art

• sociology

• spain

• women in sports

• women’s studies

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the power of human connection, designed for people

who want to use Ella Es El Matador (She Is the Matador) to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues and

communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster debates in which participants try to convince others that they are

right, this document envisions conversations undertaken in a spirit of openness in which people try to understand one

another and expand their thinking by sharing viewpoints and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide range of audiences think more deeply about the issues

in the film. Rather than attempting to address all of the prompts, choose one or two that best meet your needs and

interests. And be sure to leave time to consider taking action. Planning the next steps can help people leave the room

feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit www.pbs.org/pov/matador.


POtentiaL Partners

using this guide

DISCUSSION GUIDe


Seaso

n 22key issues

bullfighting history

Bullfighting in its modern form has evolved over centuries,

and there is no certainty as to exactly where and when it

began. There is archaeological evidence of combat or com-

petition between people and bulls in frescoes from the Mi-

noan palace at Knossos on the island of Crete, which dates

back 4,000 years.

Bulls were also the focus of various religious cults of that

time in areas around the Mediterranean. Later, spectacular

combat with bulls was a regular feature in Roman arenas.

Researchers have cited various explanations for the devel-

opment of Spanish bullfighting, from the influence of Visig-

oth culture to the Moorish conquest of Spain in the

beginning of the eighth century.

Regardless of its origins, bullfighting had become a fixture of

public life in Spain by the 18th century, when attendance and

participation began to spread from the noble classes to the

common people. That is also the era in which breeders

began to focus on producing a special class of bulls to ap-

pear in the ring.

In the most common type of bullfighting in Spain, three

matadors face two bulls apiece. Assisting are horse-

mounted picadors, who use lances to bleed and weaken the

bulls in the first part of the performance, and banderilleros,

who place barbs in the bulls during the second part of the

performance, while executing the first turns of the cape. In


baCkgrOund infOrmatiOn

Mari Paz Vega after the bullfight at Zaragoza.


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n 22DISCUSSION GUIDe


the third portion of the event, a matador faces a weakened

bull on foot and encourages the bull to charge in order for

the matador to execute stylized passes with the cape. Fi-

nally, the matador kills the bull with a sword.

While bullfighting is often seen as a sport by outsiders, afi-

cionados prefer to think of it as a performance, akin to bal-

let, in which the outcome is uncertain and the ideal for the

spectator is not to see the most efficient kill, but to appreci-

ate the skill of the matador and the improvisatory nature of

the affair.

Bullfighting has provoked controversy since the 16th cen-

tury, when it was condemned by Pope Saint Pius V. Today,

animal advocates protest that the sport is inherently cruel

to the bulls. Critics point out that the goal of the confronta-

tion is for the bull to die and note that the bull is wounded

by picadors and banderilleros and loses blood for a consid-

erable period before facing the matador. They also criticize

the use of blindfolded horses on the part of the picadors; the

horses are also at risk of being gored by the bulls. In 2004,

the regional government of Barcelona (part of the Catalan

region of Spain, where bullfighting is less popular) voted to

ban bullfighting, but the ban was overturned.

Traditional bullfighting remains popular in Spain, where there

are about 600 bullrings, from the 20,000-seat rings in



eva Florencia getting ready to fight at Higuera de la Sierra.


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Madrid and Barcelona to the many smaller rings in towns

across the country. Bullfighting is also popular in Portugal –

where, by law, the bull is killed outside the ring – and in parts

of southern France, as well as in former Spanish colonies

from Mexico to Peru. There are also non-lethal bullfighting

events in parts of the United States.

sources:

“Bullfighting.” encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2009.

www.britannica.com/eBchecked/topic/84444/bullfighting/214828/History;

“Spain’s Battle Between Man and Beast.” Verity Murphy. BBC News.

April 6, 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3605773.stm;

“Bullfighting Is Dead! Long Live the Bullfight!” Michael Kimmelman.

The New York Times. June 1, 2008.

www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/sports/playmagazine/601bullfight.html;

“Bullfighting: A Tradition of Tragedy.” PeTA Media Center.

http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=64;

“Barcelona Votes to end Bullfights.” BBC News. April 6, 2004.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3605225.stm;

“Matador Wins. Bull Dies. The end? Not in Portugal.”

Dan Bilefsky. The New York Times. Aug. 12, 2007.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/world/europe/12portugal.html



Mari Paz Vega getting ready to fight at Zaragoza.


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women in bullfighting

Women have always had a place in bull-

fighting, although their proper role has been

contested, as aficionados and authorities in-

tervened to allow or disallow women in the

ring. The first record of a female matador

comes from the 17th century, according to

historians, and a Goya etching from the

early 19th century, Valor varonil de la cele-

bre Pajuelera en la de Zaragoza, pays hom-

age to a female bullfighter.

In the 1930s, Juanita Cruz fought success-

fully in Spain, until the government banned

women from fighting on foot. Cruz went on

to compete in South America, where

women were not banned from bullfighting.

Conchita Cintrón, the daughter of an Amer-

ican couple who grew up in Peru, was

drawn to the bullring as a girl and became a

sensation in Mexico in the 1940s. She later

went to europe, where she fought for sev-

eral more years before retiring from the ring

in 1949. In her career, she killed as many 750

bulls in the ring, using a distinctive combi-

nation of Portuguese and Spanish tech-

nique. She was trained as a rejoneadora,

someone who bullfights while riding a

horse. According to some sources, she was

arrested after her final fight in Spain, where

women were not allowed to bullfight on

foot, when she dismounted her horse. Ac-

cording to the tale, she was pardoned im-

mediately afterward.

In 1974, Angela Hernandez went to court in

Spain to overturn the ban on women, open-

ing the door for more women to pursue

bullfighting. One of her successors was

Maribel Atienzar, whose career lasted until

1987.

In the 1990s, Cristina Sánchez gained international attention

as the most prominent female matador. For several seasons

she was very successful, but she retired in 1999, citing the

enduring sexism of fans and her peers in the ring.



Juanita Cruz in her bullfighting suit.


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The most prominent female bullfighter in recent years has

been Mari Paz Vega, who earned her status as a matador in

1997 — the first woman to earn that honor in a bullring in

Spain. She has continued to take part in bullfighting, earning

an outstanding reputation in Spain and especially in Mexico

and South America, where, she says, the bullfighting world is

more open to women.

sources:

“Conchita Cintrón, ‘Goddess’ of Bullring, Dies at 86.” Bruce Weber.

The New York Times. Feb. 21, 2009.

www.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/sports/othersports/21cintron.html;

“Matador.” encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2009.

http://www.britannica.com/eBchecked/topic/368901/matador;

“Shop Talk; Unsportsmanlike Conduct.” Kevin Gray.

The New York Times. June 27, 1999.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0De0D81F3BF934

A15755C0A96F958260;

“A ‘Sacrilege’ — Or Just Bull?” Jennifer Foote. Newsweek. Nov. 9, 1992.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/147381;

“Does Machismo Face Death in the Bullring?”

elizabeth Nash. The Independent. May 28,1996.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/does-machismo-face-death-in-

the-bullring-1349576.html;

“Against the Odds: Mari Paz Vega.” Jo Tuckman. Observer Sport

Monthly. May 6, 2007.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/may/06/features.sport9



The infamous bullfighter La Reverte, third from the right.


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mari Paz Vega

Born in Malaga, Spain, Mari Paz Vega started fighting bulls at the

age of nine. Raised in a family of men who tried, but failed, to

become bullfighters, she was the first woman to receive the title

of “matador” in Spain, and she did so at the age of 22. More than

10 years later, after great success in Latin America, she is still

fighting for a place in the top rankings in Spain. As of today, Mari

Paz Vega is the only active professional female matador in the

world.

eva florencia

Native Italian eva Bianchini traveled to Spain at the age of 14

and fell in love with Spanish culture and the art of bullfighting.

Against her parents’ will, she left again for Spain at the age of 16

with only one desire: to become a matador. In Spain, she

became eva Florencia. Throughout her dramatic journey, eva

discovers her own determination and the difficulties of her

chosen profession. The struggle and her love for the animal

eventually open her to new ways of expressing her dream.

Selected People Featured in Ella Es El Matador

Mari Paz Vega and eva Florencia celebrating the U.S. premiere at Silverdocs


Immediately after the film, you may want to give people a

few quiet moments to reflect on what they have seen. If

the mood seems tense, you can pose a general question

and give people some time to themselves to jot down or

think about their answers before opening the discussion.

Unless you think participants are so uncomfortable that

they can’t engage until they have had a break, don’t en-

courage people to leave the room between the film and

the discussion. If you save your break for an appropriate

moment during the discussion, you won’t lose the feeling

of the film as you begin your dialogue.

One way to get a discussion going is to pose a general

question such as:

• If you could ask anyone in the film a single question,

who would it be and what would you ask him or her?

• What did you learn from this film? What insights did

it provide?

• Describe a moment or scene in the film that you

found particularly disturbing or moving. What was

it about that scene that was especially compelling

for you?


generaL disCussiOn QuestiOns

DISCUSSION GUIDe


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n 22

Spanish nuns.


gender roles

• Compare the reactions of eva Florencia’s parents with

Mari Paz Vega recalling, “My mother would say that if my

brothers could do it, why not me, even though I was a girl.”

Imagine that you have a child who announces an intention to

pursue a career that is not traditional for his or her gender.

What advice would you give him or her?

• World-class matador enrique Ponce says, “A woman in

the bullring is not an easy fit.” Why do you think he says this?

In what ways do female competitors challenge the essence

of bullfighting?

• Matador Cristina Sanchez observes, “The law no longer

bans us, but there’s still an unstated prohibition. In this world

controlled by men, the top matadors have all the power.” In

your opinion, why aren’t male matadors eager to share a bill

with a woman or allow women to participate? Can you think

of other sports that have excluded women? What do these

sports share with bullfighting?

• Historian Fermin Cebolla documents that there have

been women bullfighters since at least the 13th century. So

why does women’s participation continue to be an issue?

What would it mean for the culture if women matadors were

common?

• In what ways does women’s participation in bullfighting

challenge machismo? In what ways might it reinforce

machismo?

• Historian Fermin Cebolla notes that women have been

banned from the ring during military dictatorships, but per-

mitted to fight at other times. Do you think that banning

women from bullfighting reinforces an authoritarian ap-

proach to government? Why or why not?

• Vega tries to mentor Florencia, but feels she can’t even

help herself, let alone help others. What could someone like


disCussiOn PrOmPts

eva Florencia, Higuera de la Sierra.


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Vega do to help other women

bullfighters? What other kinds of

mentoring or support strategies

exist to help women who partici-

pate in traditionally male sports

or jobs?

• Do you consider women like

Vega and Florencia good role

models? Why or why not?

bullfighting

• How did the film influence

your ideas about bullfighting and

female bullfighters?

• In trying to explain the at-

traction of bullfighting, Florencia

says, “There was something be-

yond the cruelty people spoke of.

There was a connection between

man and beast.” Florencia’s fa-

ther, Domenico, struggles to un-

derstand the appeal, and he is

convinced that the Spaniards

don’t think of bullfighting as a

“blood sport.” How would you

describe bullfighting?

• In response to those who

see her vocation as cruel, Vega

responds, “We all believe that the

bull is born to die in the ring. I

don’t feel bad about killing him,

but it must be an honorable

death. A quick, painless death.”

She adds that the bull has a

chance to fight for its life. Do you

find her explanation satisfying?

Why or why not? What do you

think Vega means by “honorable

death”? How does she deal with the tension between re-

specting, or even loving the bull and killing it?


disCussiOn PrOmPts

Shooting a scene with eva Florencia painting.


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• How does the killing that occurs in a

bullring compare to the slaughter of ani-

mals for food? What kinds of moral dilem-

mas are raised by each activity?

• Clearly frustrated, Florencia says,

“The world of bullfighting is controlled by

businessmen who take advantage of those

who dream of becoming bullfighters.” How

is the business of bullfighting like and un-

like other sports or entertainment? Beyond

merit, what other factors lead competitors

to succeed or fail?

• What is your reaction to this com-

ment from Florencia: “The person who

wants to be a matador is searching be-

yond themselves, to reach past human lim-

itations. When you’re looking at the bull,

it’s like you’re looking at yourself. Because

in front of the bull, there’s no place to hide.

There’s no room to fool yourself because

you’re facing life and death.” What other

challenges offer that kind of experience?

• It is easy to recognize Florencia’s

paintings as artistic expression. Is there a

way in which bullfighting is also an artistic

expression? If it is performance art, why do

so many people see it as a sport?

• At the end of film Florencia says, “I’ll

keep fighting, but in a new way. I’ll face

other bulls.” What do you think she means

by “other bulls”? What insight does her

declaration offer about the challenge(s)

represented by bullfighting?


disCussiOn PrOmPts

Mari Paz Vega’s altar.


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• As part of an observance of Women’s History Month

(March), plan an event honoring women athletes. For ideas,

visit the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Take Action section

(http ://www.womenssportsfoundat ion .org/Take-

Action.aspx), which provides multiple ways for people to

take action to support women’s sports, honor women sport’s

heroes and advocate for change.

• Convene a debate on the pros and cons of allowing

women to participate in traditionally male professional

sports. Include popular U.S. professional sports that exclude

women and girls, such as baseball, football, hockey and box-

ing.

• Work with a Girl Scout troop, after school program or

similar group to research and write a biography or oral his-

tory of a woman bullfighter, female athlete or a local woman

in a non-traditional job. Share your biography/oral history

online, in a library display, with other local youth groups or

in another community venue.

• engage borderland, Mexican immigrant communities or

Portuguese American communities in dialogues about gen-

der roles and/or the role of bullfighting in their own culture.


taking aCtiOn

Mari Paz Vega and crew, girls parade, Salas de los Infantes.


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FILM-RELATED WEB SITES

Original Online Content on P.O.V. Interactive (www.pbs.org/pov)

P.O.V.’s Ella Es El Matador (She Is the Matador)

companion website

www.pbs.org/pov/matador

To further enhance the broadcast, P.O.V. has produced an

interactive website to enable viewers to explore the film in

greater depth. The companion website to ella es el mata-

dor (she is the matador) offers a streaming video trailer for

the film; an interview with filmmakers Gemma Cubero and

Celeste Carrasco; a list of related websites, organizations

and books; a downloadable discussion guide; and the fol-

lowing special features:

FAShIOn PhOTO GALLERY

Browse photos of current fashion inspired by matador

outfits.

AnATOMY OF A BULLFIGhT

Learn more about the tradition of bullfighting and the

rules that govern the sport.

hISTORY OF FEMALE BULLFIGhTERS

Read about famous female bullfighters like Conchita

Cintrón, known as the “Blonde Goddess.”

bullfighting

BULLFIGhTInG In SPAIn

www.spain.info

On the official website for tourism in Spain, visitors can get

information about bullfights and the culture of bullfighting,

and they can access links to bullrings and museums associ-

ated with the tradition.

ESPN: “hAUnTED BY ThE hORnS”

http://sports.espn.go.com

This article (also available in Spanish) follows a young,

prominent Mexican-American bullfighter, Alejandro Amaya,

on one of his trips to perform multiple corridas throughout

Mexico. The article features a short Q-and-A section about

bullfighting, as well as a glossary of Spanish bullfighting

terms.

ThE INdEPENdENT: “BULLFIGhTInG FAnS In PLEA

FOR WORLD hERITAGE STATUS”

www.independent.co.uk

This article quickly summarizes the movement in Spain to

try and protect bullfighting from being banned, spearheaded

by the Platform for the Defence of the Fiesta Nacional, a pro-

bullfighting group. (April 27, 2007)

FOR A BULLFIGhTInG-FREE EUROPE

www.bullfightingfreeeurope.org/

Sponsored by many animal rights organizations, this web-

site compiles information to support its argument against

bullfighting and pushes to abolish the tradition.


resOurCes

DISCUSSION GUIDe


Seaso

n 22What’s Your P.O.V.? Share your thoughts about Ella Es El Matador

by posting a comment on the P.O.V. Blog

www.pbs.org/pov/blog or send an email to [email protected].

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bullfighting-fans-in-plea-for-world-heritage-status-446356.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=matador

http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/Reportajes/1/Los%20toros%20la%20magia%20de%20la%20fiesta%20nacional%20de%20Espana.htm?Language=en

SPAIn TRAVEL: BULLFIGhTInG

www.justspain.org/spain/spain-bullfights.asp

This website serves as a travel guide to Spain and includes

a section dedicated to the history of bullfighting that pro-

vides a detailed description of the rituals and customs of the

sport.

La Voz WEEkLy:

“ADVEnTURES OF A FEMALE ‘MATADOR’”

http://media.www.lavozdeanza.com

In a personal account, a female study-abroad student from

De Anza College who had the chance to fight against a baby

bull (without performing a final kill) describes her danger-

ous, but ultimately successful, first attempt at a corrida.

(Nov. 23, 2003)

ThE LADY IS A BULLFIGhTER

http://www.epcc.edu/nwlibrary/borderlands/10_the_lady_is_a_bullfighter.htm

Derived from the Borderlands Project at el Paso Community

College, this article gives a brief biography of Texan female

bullfighter Pat Hayes, who is still considered one of the most

graceful bullfighters of her time.

ThE NEW york TIMES: “BULLFIGhTInG IS DEAD!

LOnG LIVE ThE BULLFIGhT!”

www.nytimes.com

Following José Tomás in his bullfights across Spain, this ar-

ticle explores a lot of the controversy surrounding bullfight-

ing. Both traditional and abolitionist groups are cited, and

the continuing struggle between preserving tradition and

perpetuating what some see as a cruel sport is examined.

(June 1, 2008)

ThE NEW york TIMES: COnChITA CInTRón

www.nytimes.com

Conchita Cintrón’s obituary limns the life of a celebrated fe-

male matador who was known as the “Blonde Goddess.”

(Feb. 19, 2009)

spanish Culture

BBC nEWS COUnTRY PROFILE: SPAIn

http://news.bbc.co.uk

This overview offers general information about Spain, its his-

tory, government, culture and media.

ThE ChrISTIaN SCIENCE MoNITor: “SPAIn’S WOMEn

MAkE GAInS In WORkPLACE AnD hOME”

http://www.csmonitor.com

Spanish women are in the midst of a cultural revolution, ac-

cording to this article, which details the plight of women

looking to break out of traditional gender roles. (June 28,

2002)

COUnTRY REPORTS: SPAIn

http://www.countryreports.org/Spain.aspx

This website has numerous in-depth sections on Spanish his-

tory, population, culture and economy.

DOn QUIjOTE: SPAnISh CULTURE

http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain

Don Quijote, a language travel agency, offers a brief look at

Spanish culture that touches on the artistic and musical her-

itage of the country.


resOurCes

DISCUSSION GUIDe


Seaso

n 22

http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0628/p07s02-woeu.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/991960.stm

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/sports/othersports/20cintron.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/sports/playmagazine/601bullfight.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=bullfighting&st=cse

http://media.www.lavozdeanza.com/media/storage/paper911/news/2003/11/23/Features/Adventures.Of.A.Female.matador-1849979.shtml

women in sports

WOMEn’S SPORTS FOUnDATIOn

www.womenssportsfoundation.org

Working to advance the lives of girls and women through

sport and physical activity, the Women’s Sports Foundation

educates the public on encouraging girls to participate in

physical activity.

FEMInIST MAjORITY FOUnDATIOn:

EMPOWERInG WOMEn In SPORTS

http://feminist.org/research/sports/sports2.html

This section of the foundation’s website is dedicated to the

education and advocacy of women in sports careers. The

website features a page that looks at the barriers women

who want to pursue athletic careers may face (http://femi-

nist.org/research/sports/sports4.html), as well as a list of re-

sources for anyone interested in learning more

(http://feminist.org/research/sports/sports11.html).

obSErVEr SPorT MoNThLy: “AGAInST ThE ODDS”

www.guardian.co.uk

This article describes three women who have excelled in

sports that were once deemed unfit or too dangerous for

women: Steph Davis, a rock climber, Katherine Legge, a rac-

ing driver, and Mari Paz Vega, a female bullfighter featured

in ella es el matador (she is the matador). (May 6, 2007)

hISTORY OF WOMEn In SPORTS TIMELInE

www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/timeline.htm

Created by the American Association of University Women

– St. Lawrence County Branch, this timeline provides an ex-

tensive view of women’s sports history and women’s in-

volvement in sports from the first Olympics, held in Greece

in 776 B.C., up to the present day.


resOurCes

DISCUSSION GUIDe


Seaso

n 22

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/may/06/features.sport9

hOw tO buy the fiLm

DISCUSSION GUIDe


Seaso

n 22To order ella es el matador, go to www.talcualfilms.com/estudio/ella-es-el-matador

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Front cover: Mari Paz Vega matador suit detail.


http://www.americandocumentary.org

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