Stardom, ethics and the market: an analysis of feminist potential and brand-building in the documentary Aitana Bonmatí Conca (Movistar Plus+: 2024)

Abstract

This article examines the documentary miniseries Aitana Bonmatí Conca (2024), directed by Xavi Torres, Jesús Muñoz and Santi Padró, with the primary aim of assessing the feminist potential of contemporary audiovisual works. The research is structured around a dual methodological framework: on the one hand, the analytical categories proposed by Richard Dyer (2001) regarding the configuration of stars as complex phenomena of production and consumption; and, on the other hand, it employs Amanda D. Lotz’s research (2001), which focuses on tools for critical analysis from a gender perspective in post-television environments. It is argued that the work constructs an image of stardom situated at a dialectical intersection: the global media coverage of Aitana Bonmatí, linked to her successes at F.C. Barcelona and with the Spanish national team; set against a narrative of ethical intimacy. The latter is rooted in her origins, friendships, socio-political commitments and the defence of The Catalan language acts as a counterpoint that shapes the current ‘attention economy’ in the sporting sphere. The study analyses how this tension between the public and the private redefines the athlete’s charisma in the age of streaming platforms. It also argues that the documentary employs disruptive elements such as empowerment, the pluralisation of gender representations and the use of feminist strategies that highlight personal and professional challenges and processes of self-improvement and professionals. However, the analysis reveals that these narratives of resilience inevitably coexist with the industrial logic of branding, sponsorship and the commodification of success. Through a textual analysis based on industry sources, the article concludes that Bonmatí emerges as a model of hybrid stardom that challenges the traditional norms of elite sport, integrating cultural authenticity into a globalised market.