In a culture heavily influenced by machismo and tradition, Las Matadoras tells the story of three female bullfighters in Spain, México and Perú who overcome obstacles to follow their passion: fighting bulls. This feature documentary will touch upon three themes: 1) masculinity (women in the bullring); 2) culture (traditions of bullfighting); and 3) paradigm shift (the call to stop the bullfights).
This documentary will be filmed in Spanish with subtitles.
Watch the concept trailer below in English. Note: this video contains scenes that may be distressing to some viewers.
More about the documentary
The Story
Bullfighting in an art form that touches upon the history, politics and social norms of Spanish culture. It is relevant to not only explore the traditions of tauromaquia (bullfighting) to garner a better understanding of its importance to Spain and those of the Spanish diaspora, but to uncover its true initial meaning: for men to show courage in the face of death (the bull).
While bullfighting originated among Spanish nobility, it is now open to anyone who has the bravery to do this art. However, only 0.8% of matadors (bullfighters) are women and there are some who believe their place is out of the bullring. Nevertheless, many people see bullfighting as an outdated tradition that should be abolished since cruelty to animals is no longer seen as entertainment.
Las Matadoras will not shy away from the controversy of bullfighting. Through the eyes and words of the three matadoras, the documentary will examine how bullfighting serves as a mirror reflecting broader societal changes in gender roles, cultural preservation and ethics surrounding animal rights.
The Production Journey
Research on Las Matadors began in April 2024. Between June and October 2024, Director/Producer Charysse Tia Harper traveled to Spain three times to visit libraries, museums, bullfighting arenas and speak to historians, aficionados, bullfighting activists and bullfighters, themselves. She attended one corrida de toros (bullfighting with adult bulls), one corrida de novillos (bullfighting with young bulls), one corrida de rejones (bullfighting on horseback) and one corrida mixta (bullfighting with bullfighters on horses and on foot). Charysse interviewed 12 people. Each visit and interview was instrumental in learning more about the Spanish and tauromaquia cultures. All actions culminated in making the concept trailer of 3 minutes and 24 seconds.
Charysse continues to apply for grants and search for investors to begin production on Las Matadoras during the 2025 temporada (bullfighting season).
To learn more about the documentary, please contact:
Director/Producer Charysse Tia Harper or via email at ch@xploretheworld.biz
Executive Producer Dena Danny Derakhshan or via email at ddderakhshan@gmail.com
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