Viola Davis' Ashé Ventures Boards Maria Farinha Filmes' Biopic of Trailblazing Black Gymnast Daiane dos Santos (EXCLUSIVE)
Ashé Ventures, co-founded by Viola Davis, an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner, has joined forces with Brazil's Maria Farinha Filmes to co-produce 'The Girl Who Could Fly.'
The partnership marks the latest expansive move by the fast-growing Maria Farinha Filmes. In 2024, it launched the Los Angles-based MFF & Co, which in turn acquired a minority stake in London's four-time Oscar-nominated Violet Films.
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Projects set up at MFF & Co include 'Pegasus,' created by Amit Cohen ('False Flag') and Ron Leshem ('Euphoria'), 'Fail-Safe,' directed by Joe Berlinger ('Paradise Lost'), and 'Esperanza,' from Fernando Meirelles ('City of God').
A fiction feature, 'Girl' is inspired by the life and groundbreaking journey of Brazil's Daiane dos Santos, the first Brazilian and first Black woman to win gold at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
The best tumbler of her generation, Dos Santos was the first female gymnast to perform either involving double Arabians: Half twists into double front flips. Dos Santos had two floor exercise skills named after her — the 'Dos Santos I' and 'Dos Santos II' — a distinction later matched only by U.S. gymnast Simone Biles.
'The Girl Who Could Fly' will explore the powerful story of a young Black girl who broke racial and societal barriers to become a global gymnastics icon' through her 'defiance of the physical, mental and aesthetic expectations of her time,' Maria Farinha Filmes announced Wednesday.
In advanced development, 'Girl' is written by Flávia Vieira ('These Are the Rules,' the 'If My Memory Serves Me Right' podcast) and Janaína Tokitaka ('Mila in the Multiverse,' 'Back to 15').
'We always envisioned that this project had what it takes to capture the world's imagination, and it's a happy encounter to have Ashé sharing this vision with us in this historic Brazilian co-production,' said Luana Lobo, co-CEO and partner at Maria Farinha Filmes.
'We are in a very special moment for Brazil, in which audiences want new heroes. We have the opportunity to make this project a great local case, but above all, a global one,' added Maurício Mota, a co-producer and partner at Ashé Ventures.
A leading global impact entertainment company in Latin America, the 17-year-old Maria Farinha Filmes broke out to worldwide attention producing Amazon-set thriller 'Aruanas' for Globo's VOD service Globoplay, which went on to be seen by 35 million viewers per episode. Launched on Netflix, doc franchise 'The Beginning of Life,' focused on the importance of early childhood development, was the most watched Brazilian documentary of 2016.
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