Heroes of Today Film Breaks Down Barriers Mothers Face in Elite Sports

The directing duo BRBR, composed of Nacho A. Villar and Luis Rojo, are proud to present their latest short film 'Heroes of Today IV', produced by Birth and Landia. This production is the fourth installment of the 'Heroes of Today' series, a collection of short films that address taboo topics in sports and shed light on important societal issues. After exploring racism, homophobia, and sexual abuse in the first three films of the series, 'Heroes of Today IV' focuses on discrimination against pregnant women in the world of sports.

It's worth bearing in mind that, currently and specifically in sports, one in three pregnant athletes face having to give up their career in sports and discrimination. In addition, according to data from 'The Invisibles' report, four out of every ten women confirm that they have experienced some discrimination in their work environment when they become mothers: 22% of the women lost their job, 11% quit because they were unable to combine work and childcare and 6% were fired for being pregnant or because they had had a child. The lack of measures to improve their work-life balance causes 68% of women not to have more children.

'Mother' tells the story of a determined athlete who decides to be a mother without giving up being an elite athlete despite losing support from everyone, even her coach. The short film reflects the situation many women nowadays are forced to face when they become pregnant and all the doors in their professional careers close. Despite the difficulties and obstacles, they face during the process, the protagonist finds the strength to carry on and fight for both dreams: to be a mother and a professional athlete. With an epic ending, the film shows the athlete returning to compete after having her baby, stronger than ever, to show that you can be a mother at the top level of the sport.

Combining being an athlete with being a mother means making a crucial decision for a woman. In many cases, gender stereotypes suggest inequality in many sporting institutions, leading many women to reconsider their position regarding their career and future. 

BRBR's short films have garnered attention from several major brands that have pledged to support this cause and denounce hidden problems in the world of sports. These brands recognise the importance of the 'Heroes of Today' series in opening discussions on subjects that are often ignored in the sports world. By highlighting difficult and complex situations, BRBR's films encourage reflection and the need for positive change. 

"'Mother' addresses the double whammy of maternity and elite sport to denounce widespread behaviours which still exist in our society and condition the future of many women," says Alejandro Lavezzolo, spokesperson for HEROES OF TODAY. What's more, Daniel Rodriguez, executive creative director at DDB, comments: "The reality is that there are still women who decide to postpone or give up on their desire to be mothers in order to not miss out on opportunities in professional sport.”

HEROES OF TODAY is a platform to end discrimination and intolerance. A project of different brands coming together to denounce and raise awareness about any kind of discrimination and intolerance in the sports world. The platform was created to tell stories about heroes who never quit, fight for everyone else, and believe in a better world for everybody. This time, LaLiga, Iberia, Repsol, Orange, and DAZN are the brands that wanted to join the initiative, vindicating the need to build a better world.

'Mother' is the fourth short film launched by HEROES OF TODAY, a message of support to carry on working on the work-life balance and the right to motherhood without interfering with women's professional dreams. The content from the platform focused on an anti-racism message which had a significant impact after the latest social conflicts. The second film launched an uncomfortable reflection on how homophobia still exists in our society, specifically in sports. The third one, HEROES OF TODAY, showed the sexual abuse and toxic motivation that many women suffer in elite sports.