Matadora!

Screenplay by Simone Yehuda

GENRE: Bio-Pic Thriller

The true story of female bullfighter Conchita Cintrón (1922-2007), who overcame life-threatening danger and family disapproval to become world-famous.

SYNOPSIS: Already brilliant on horseback by the age of 3, Conchita Cintrón was the youngest child ever to attend her mentor’s riding school, where she became hooked on bullfighting. After her father’s refusal to allow her to pursue the career she felt she was born to, Conchita became deathly ill. With her life at stake, her father was forced to give his permission.

“My heart beats as one with the bulls I conquer”.

Her mother thrilled, her father terrified, Conchita had her debut at age 11 in a Lima bullring. She went on to perform again and again on horseback, as a torero in Chile, Peru, Portugal and Spain. When she decided to try her hand at the far more difficult and dangerous art of bullfighting on foot, again there were terrible arguments with her father. But once again she prevailed and undertook the fiercely rigorous training. Before long, she became a world-famous matadora, both on horseback and on foot.

When asked if she ever intended to marry, she stated, “I dominate bulls, but I don’t want to dominate a husband.” Later when she became engaged, her fiancé asked her to stop bullfighting after they were married. In her final fight at age 21, Conchita became the first matadora to fight in Spain. Flouting Spanish law which forbids women to kill a bull on foot, she did so anyway and was arrested on the spot. Only the public outcry succeeded in winning her release.