ESPN will broadcast the world premiere of the women’s football documentary Born To Play on Wednesday, July 1st, 2020, at 9 p.m. EDT. Directed by Viridiana Lieberman, the film is a love letter to the game, written by people who you never knew played. Until now.
Born To Play spends a season with the Boston Renegades, a women’s tackle football team on the path to redemption after going undefeated but losing their championship the previous year. These unpaid athletes put their bodies on the line while maintaining full-time careers that support their lifelong dream… proving that football is for everyone. Born To Play shines a light on a team of remarkable women, ranging in age from 19-49, from a vast spectrum of backgrounds who dedicate their time, bodies and paychecks to pursue their passion for playing football.
“To step into this world and watch these women unapologetically create their own destiny in a sport that has yet to acknowledge them is crucial,” says Director/Producer Viridiana Lieberman. “It is my hope that this story will not only help shine a light on this team and this sport, but also add to a larger conversation of unity, agency and the power of perseverance in creating the world we want to live in.”
Born To Play marks Lieberman’s feature-length documentary directorial debut. She previously edited the award-winning documentaries I Am Evidence and The Sentence, as well as Love The Sinner and Special Olympics: 50 Years of Changing the Game. In addition, Lieberman wrote the quintessential book on women’s sports on film, “Sports Heroines on Film: A Critical Study of Cinematic Women Athletes, Coaches and Owners”.
Born To Play will premiere Wednesday, July 1st, 2020, at 9 p.m. EDT with rebroadcasts to follow.