A new Movistar Plus documentary series will explore the social fallout in the Spanish town of Villamanín after a 2025 Christmas lottery win sparked a dispute among residents.
The small town in León, which has a population of barely 1,000, won the first prize in the national draw. However, the local festival committee discovered hours later that a human counting error meant they had sold 50 more five-euro participation tickets than were covered by their holding of the ten corresponding winning tickets.
The discrepancy created a four million euro shortfall that temporarily halted the payout and fractured relations within the community.
The three-part series, titled El gordo de Villamanín, is a collaboration with Morada Films and Colosé Producciones. The 45-minute episodes will feature exclusive testimonies from committee members, affected residents and witnesses involved in the subsequent mediation process. The documentary explores community life in rural Spain, human dynamics in the face of unexpected wealth and the emotional impact of money on neighbourly relationships.
Documenting the aftermath
Director and writer Paula Palacios said she arrived in the early days of the dispute to find an empty, snow-covered town where residents were saddened by the loss of community spirit and unwilling to speak. She added that witnessing the town's recovery had been a beautiful experience, noting her long career in documentaries had taught her how rare it is to find a strong story at the exact right time and connect with people.
Sandra Hermida of Colosé Producciones said the project captured how an initial stroke of luck caused a massive conflict before concluding with young people who dared to dream, did not give up and made their dreams a reality.
The Spanish Christmas lottery, drawn every December, is a major national event. The top prize is known as El Gordo. It is common for local groups like festival committees to buy whole tickets and divide them into smaller shares to sell to neighbours.
The dispute was resolved on September 1 with a large concert by the indie rock band Carolina Durante. The festival committee had previously promised to book the band if they ever won the lottery, and the performance will feature in the conclusion of the documentary series.
