Sanfermines 2016 was marked by the La Manada case, a sexual assault involving five young men and a victim during Spain’s renowned festival. The incident drew intense media scrutiny, helping ignite the first wave of #MeToo conversations in Spain and triggering widespread social protests. More than seven years later, Netflix will premiere a documentary titled You are not alone: The fight against La Manada, giving voice to the survivor and the young woman who reported some of the same individuals in Pozoblanco. The film is set to premiere on Friday, March 1.
“The survivors and those who supported them at the time had no platform to speak,” the filmmakers emphasize. Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar, who directed this exploration, include testimonies from law enforcement officers, lawyers, prosecutors, social workers, journalists, and city officials, including Pamplona’s mayor, Joseba Asiron. “For those involved in this story, the time since the Supreme Court ruling was crucial: the majority were hesitant to speak until now,” the filmmakers recall.
They faced resistance from defense lawyers who represented La Manada, a group seen by many as having ample opportunities to share their testimonies. The film presents archival footage of those moments. “The documentary surveys nearly five years from a judicially grounded perspective, focusing on court findings and the Supreme Court’s latest decision. It does not aim to pit versions against one another for judgment,” the filmmakers explain.
imaginary names
The directors maintained steady contact with the families of the Sanfermines victim, who chose not to participate directly in the film. In the narrative, the survivor is given a fictional name, Lucia, with words drawn directly from judicial statements and two letters she sent to the press. Natalia de Molina provides Lucia’s voice, conveying the weight of the experience as she recalls the trauma and the long process of finding space to be heard.
In Pozoblanco, the young woman identified by the documentary with the pseudonym Pigeon recounts her experiences, and the actress Carolina Yuste portrays her truth. Both survivors confront the added burden of public scrutiny and sensational coverage. The film also invites reflection on how the media framed the case, including a journalist-led poll that questioned whether the events constituted rape or consensual sex, highlighting the media’s role in shaping perception.
Footage from Netflix’s documentary You are not alone: The fight against La Manada is featured in the film.
In discussing the impact of reporting, the filmmakers note that audiences often crave every detail, even specifics that may re-victimize victims. The result can hamper a holistic understanding of the incident. Carracedo and Bahar stress the necessity of balancing what the public needs to know with the risk of retraumatizing survivors. Their production spanned more than three and a half years of shooting, during which they reviewed thousands of hours of archival material and conducted more than 60 hours of interviews. A turning point for many involved the broader social mobilization that followed the case, a factor the film emphasizes as distinctive among the many stories of gender-based violence.
#Say it and #Done
“This case proved to be a tipping point, triggering demonstrations that united thousands and raised awareness about consent and violence against women. The filmmakers created this project to amplify the voices of survivors who share their experiences on social platforms for the first time,” the team explains. They hope the film will contribute to reducing such cases and encourage more empathetic, supportive responses in the future.
Images from the Netflix documentary You are not alone: The fight against La Manada accompany the film’s narrative. The directors emphasize that a third survivor, Nagore Laffage, who tragically died in 2008, is acknowledged in the film. Nagore’s mother, Asun Casasola, speaks about her daughter’s death and how the La Manada case brought back memories of her loss. Nagore, like many other women who died due to gender-based violence, can no longer raise her voice.
The documentary aims to present a thoughtful, balanced account while drawing attention to the ongoing struggle against sexual violence and the need for systemic change. It offers a candid look at the complexities of memory, testimony, and accountability in high-profile cases that continue to influence public discourse in Spain and beyond. The film’s creators invite viewers to consider the responsibilities shared by the media, the public, and the justice system in shaping a safer future for women everywhere [Citation: Netflix].