Mujeres con Pelotas (Goals for Girls)

Co-directors Gabriel Balanovsky and Ginger Gentile's Mujeres con Pelotas (Goals for Girls) centers on women's soccer in Argentina. To sports commentator Víctor Hugo Morales, there's nothing unusual about women playing soccer. Sportswriter Gastón Recondo, however, begs to differ: "They aren't equal and they will never be equal due to genetic reasons.” (The directors cleverly juxtapose Recondo's comments here with some fancy female footwork.) Laura, who plays for the Las Aliadas team, knew from an early age that she wanted to be a soccer player, but almost gave up when she found out she would have to travel to a poor neighborhood (after only one day, however, Laura was hooked). Laura's coach, Mónica Santino, complains that boys often try to interrupt their games, so she continually asks them to leave until they go away. Bettina Stagñares, who coaches the Estudiantes de la Plata team, also had to shoo boys away initially, until they got the message and moved elsewhere. Rosa, one of Bettina's players, says that people think she's rich because she plays soccer, but she has to also work part-time to make ends meet. Other women have chores, long commutes, and no access to dormitories like the male players. Money is a common theme here, especially since women's soccer doesn't generate the same degree of income and the players are less likely to turn pro. As one player notes, however, these females would go further if they received support earlier: it's hard to compete with male players who started in grade school, when the girls had to wait until their teen years. Offering a reminder of the global nature of gender inequities in sports, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)