Copa ‘71 [PG]
BREC Cinesaver Pass One Pass, Five Entries: Full: $85 | Conc/Student: $75
For the best value on your cinema tickets, purchase a BREC Cinesaver Pass, valid for 5 entries to any of the BREC International Film Festival screenings in Winter 2024!
BREC Cinesaver Passes can be purchased online, or via the BREC Box Office on 1300 661 272.
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DIRECTOR: Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine
THE PLAYERS: Carol Wilson (England), Anna Stengard (Denmark), Birte Kjems (Denmark), Silvia Zaragoza (Mexico), Nicole Mangas (France), Elena Schiavo (Italy)
COUNTRY: UK
LANGUAGE: English, French, Spanish, Italian with subtitles
GENRE: Documentary
CLASSIFICATION: PG – Mild themes
RUN TIME: 91mins
Copa ‘71 [PG]
The greatest sporting story you’ve never heard of.
It is August 1971. Teams from England, Argentina, Mexico, France, Denmark, and Italy gathered in Mexico City for a watershed soccer tournament: lavish sponsorship, extensive TV coverage, merchandise on every street corner, and over 100,000 roaring fans turning the historic Azteca Stadium into a cauldron of noise while a fawning media treated the players like rock stars.
This was the greatest show on Earth but, despite being one of the most groundbreaking moments in soccer history, you’ve probably never heard of it. And why? Because the players were all women, and the heroic event that unfolded, had been sidelined from history – until now.
COPA 71 is the extraordinary story of an extraordinary tournament – told through the voices of those who lived it: fearless women from across the globe to whom today’s players, be they superstar like Megan Rapinoe, Lucy Bronze and Marta, or a young girl playing in her local park, owe so much.
The tournament was the flame that lit the touchpaper for the explosion of women’s soccer around the globe – the catalyst that led to the 2015 Women’s World Cup final gaining TV audiences in America larger than the NBA final.
In spite of the fact that the blazer-wearing men of soccer associations around the world waged a war on women’s soccer from the 1920s, and that soccer’s governing body tried to stop Copa ’71 from happening at all, this remarkable event is believed to be the highest-ever attendance for a women’s sporting event – and at 100,000+ it is a record that will likely never be broken.
Through recently uncovered and never-seen archive and compelling contemporary interviews, the film revels in the excitement, passion and humour of this inexplicably well-kept secret.
With cinematic flair, an original score, and thumping 70’s soundtrack driven by female singer-songwriters including Carol King, Nancy Sinatra, Kiki Dee, Koko Taylore and Lara Saint Paul, COPA 71 sets the players’ personal stories within the context of women’s liberation movement in the 60s through to present day in England, Italy, France, Argentina, Denmark and Mexico.
“A timely and galvanising telling of a remarkable story that every football fan should know, and one that will hopefully go some way towards ensuring that Copa 71 finds its way into the sport’s history books.”
Rosie Hewitson, Time Out
“Copa 71 is a revolutionary political parable that goes beyond football. A different world is possible; not only that, a different world was not just possible but did in fact exist.”
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
“’Copa 71’ connects an entire lineage of the sport and reveals that while its popularity has been recognised more recently, it might be even greater if more of it was on the record.”
Stephen Saito, Variety
“An uplifting and eye-opening love letter.”
Dan Fienberg, Hollywood Reporter
“The crowds were enormous, passionate and very, very clearly not just there to look at pretty girls in hot pants. There were Embassy parties, autograph hunters, interviews and press coverage around the world. That things worked, the film makes clear, is because the women involved were extraordinary.”
Rachael Williams, Women in Sport
Cleveland International Film Festival – 2024 Nominee
Palm Springs International Film Festival – 2024 Nominee
DocsBarcelona, ES – 2024 Nominee TV3 Award Best Documentary
Ticket Prices
Full: $19
Conc/Student: $17
Under 18: $12
Group 8: $14
BREC Cinesaver Pass
One Pass, Five Entries
Full: $85
Concession/Student: $75
For the best value on your cinema tickets, purchase a BREC Cinesaver Pass, valid for 5 entries to any of the BREC International Film Festival screenings in Winter 2024!
BREC Cinesaver Passes can be purchased online, or via the BREC Box Office on 1300 661 272.
Skip The Queue
Know which films you are coming to see? We recommend pre-purchasing your tickets to avoid the rush!
The BREC Film Festival Hub and Box Office open 1 hour prior to each screening.
Purchase tickets online, skip the queue and head straight upstairs to the Sky Bar where you can soak up the Festival Hub atmosphere until the theatre opens.
Tickets & Venue Info
If you experience any difficulties booking tickets, please contact our Box Office Team on 1300 661 272 – Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 10am to 4pm.
ACCESSIBILITY For accessible bookings please contact our Box Office Team on 1300 661 272.
The safety of our patrons, staff, and community remains our priority, and we’re working hard to ensure your safety while visiting BREC.
We continue to encourage online bookings and contactless payments at the bar.
Join us in the BREC Film Festival Hub
The BREC Film Festival Hub offers a welcoming space for you to connect and converse with fellow film lovers as you enjoy our delicious food, a drink and a convivial atmosphere.
This winter we are adding house made soup of the day along with our ever-popular toasted Panini, boutique beers, South West wines, our new range of zero alcohol drinks and snacks!
So come gather with like-minded film-loving folk, grab yourself a cup of something warm and cosy up this winter in the BREC Film Festival Hub to revel or relax as you take in the full experience.
