Windsurfer Daida Ruano's story of overcoming cancer, nominated for the Goya Awards

The past Friday 17th of November, coinciding with the celebration of the World day of Fighting against Lung Cancer, it was launched to the digital platform YouTube the documentary “Daida, Back to the Ocean”.

The short film will be available and of no cost, until Monday the 27th of November, with the aim of taking advantage of the unbeatable loudspeaker offered by its nomination for the Goya Awards and to get the optimistic message of the film across to all those affected by the disease directly or indirectly.

"Not only cancer patients feel comforted by the film, but also family members and friends who have experienced the disease at first hand find a halo of hope and illusion when they see the documentary," said the film's protagonist, 18-time windsurfing world champion Daida Ruano. The film was conceived, with the help of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), to raise funds for the cause, but it was also born with an important inspirational aspect, said its director, Pablo Ramírez.

The young director of "Daida, Back to the Ocean", said he was confident that "the global window that YouTube opens for us will allow people from all over the world to have access to the short film during these 10 days and to be moved by the torrent of positive energy that the story gives off". Originally filmed in Spanish, the popular online platform for audiovisual content will offer versions with subtitles in English, German, French and Italian. In addition, users will be able to select the descriptive subtitling or subtitles for the deaf (SPS) option, thus supporting the integration of deaf and hard of hearing people.

It should be recalled that last October, the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AACCE) selected "Daida, Back to the Ocean" as a candidate to become a finalist for the 38th edition of the Goya Awards, to be held in Valladolid on the 10th of February 2024. After more than a month, Pablo Ramírez Bolaños' debut film is still in the phase of being screened by the academics, who will have to choose, among all the selected works, the 5 pieces that will compete to win the `cabezón' in the category of best documentary short film.

The film tells the story of the overcoming of Daida Ruano Moreno, a legendary athlete who saw her professional career and her life suffer an unexpected turnaround when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011. Produced by Saltydrops, Gran Angular Canarias and Seven Island Films, the documentary follows the tortuous path that Daida had to take to overcome her illness and, with the help of her family and friends, to be able to reconnect with the ocean, the only place where she feels truly free.

Link to the documentary online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StfBzrpR8vU