In an industry dominated by men, it’s rare to come across a sports documentary that revolves entirely around a women’s team. This lack of proper representation goes a long way in explaining why women’s sports teams have had to fight tooth and nail for attention, endorsements, and recognition.
However, HBO’s new docuseries, Angel City, is trying to change that narrative by following the fortunes of Angel City FC, an expansion team led by a majority female ownership that includes actor and activist Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman, and Hollywood exec Julie Uhrman.
The three-part series, directed by Arlene Nelson, embeds with the team over the course of the 2022 season, chronicling their journey as they carve out a viable niche in the entertainment-saturated LA market. It is a complex tale that goes beyond the game as it encapsulates the team’s journey towards equality, representation, and inclusion in a league that has been marked by toxicity and misconduct.
The National Women’s Soccer League was reeling from an internal investigation that implicated five coaches and a general manager, making it imperative for the filmmakers to maintain a delicate balance between exposing the truth and respecting the players’ privacy. “We appreciate the need for that protection,” says Nelson, who had previously worked on a documentary series about Playboy founder Hugh Hefner that unmasked him as a predator and sadist.
Despite the challenges, the Angel City doc succeeds in presenting an intimate look at the players’ lives, their struggles, and their victories. However, the path to creating this docuseries was fraught with obstacles and limitations that underscored the lack of proper representation of women’s sports teams in the media.
Unlike HBO’s Hard Knocks, which has small armies of people to embed with key characters and permission to hide cameras around NFL team facilities, Nelson filmed Angel City with a 40-person crew while haggling with the team over shooting opportunities. The lack of access forced Nelson to scramble for footage when storylines continued unfolding after production had exhausted its allotted filming time, highlighting the need for more resources and support for women’s sports documentaries.
Moreover, the players’ guardedness and vigilance towards the documentary crew reflect the scarcity of authentic representation of women’s athletes in the media. While men’s sports documentaries often feature athletes disrobing and laying bare their darkest professional fears, women have much less practice or protection in similarly vulnerable moments, making it difficult to let their guards down and let people in.
Angel City FC, however, is far from ordinary, even in a landscape where women’s sports teams are fighting for survival. The team is pushing for change on and off the pitch, challenging the norms and biases entrenched in the soccer world while proving that pro women’s soccer can be just as exciting and absorbing as the men’s game.
The docuseries represents a significant step towards proper representation and visibility for women’s sports teams, offering an excellent template for future documentary projects that center women. In 15 years, when the NWSL is huge, and people are making millions of dollars playing women’s soccer, this documentary will be a very interesting snapshot in time, says team defender Madison Hammond.
Despite the challenges and limitations, Angel City FC’s season documented in the HBO series is an inspiring tale of resilience, courage, and sisterhood. The team’s journey towards success both on and off the field serves as a beacon of hope for women’s sports teams everywhere, proving that there’s room at the table for everyone, regardless of gender or race.
