A SPORTS documentary about Bournemouth's very own baseball team begins filming this week.

Dorset-based Grizzly Productions will be shooting the documentary about the Bournemouth Bears Baseball Club.

The film has been called 'Viva La Bears' and will follow the team over the 2024 season as they look to build on their success of winning the 2023 play-off final.

Whilst baseball will be the backbone of the film, the key storylines will be 'off the field' as they document the life and culture of the Cubans, Venezuelans, Australians, Canadians, South Africans and the English who have come together to make up the Bournemouth Bears.

The Netflix-style documentary will delve into the bonds the team has forged.

Viva La Bears will be produced by Steve Garay and directed by Mike Coggan, who set up Grizzly Productions in Verwood nine years ago.

Mike said: "The documentary's key theme is the commonality of using something like sport as a vehicle to create a community.

"There are people on the team from all walks of life."

He added: "`They absolutely love the sport; they go wild for it."

One of the team members is from Eastern Europe and flies all the way to Bournemouth for the games.

Jose Lopez is the manager and owner of the Bournemouth Bears.

When Jose was 17, he moved from Venezuela to the USA after being signed by one of the biggest teams in American baseball, the Houston Astros.

Shortly after joining the team, Jose suffered a stroke and had to have an emergency operation on his brain, taking him out of professional baseball.

Over 20 years later, Jose emigrated to the UK and used his passion for the game to launch a team and rebuild his relationship with the sport.

Having led them to two league trophies, he continues to work several jobs to keep the Bears afloat and provide a home for those from all over the world who now live in Bournemouth.

Mike said: "Jose has high ambitions for the team to grow and spread awareness of the game in the UK."

The film is expected to hit the screens in 2025.