Costis Mitsotakis was dubbed the world’s unluckiest man when he became the only resident of the tiny Spanish village of Sodeto not to win a share of the €740m (£579m) top prize from the annual El Gordo – the “Fat One” – Christmas lottery in 2011. But even as Spain collectively crosses its fingers Monday for the announcement of this year’s winners of the €2.24bn (£1.75bn) total prize money, the Greek-born film-maker insists that not winning was perhaps the best thing that ever happened to him.  “It was like a gift from heaven, as if someone had given me the perfect script,” he said.  For the past three years, Mitsotakis has been making a documentary following the lives of Sodeto’s 75 farming families who were all touched by Christmas lottery magic after the village’s housewives’ association had sold tickets door to door, all with the same winning number – 58268.  “All of a sudden you have the richest housewives’ association in all Spain,” says Mitsotakis, recalling how €120m of the total prize money had been scattered over the village in rural Aragon. “I hadn’t bought a ticket that year, partly as my house stands a little way outside the village and, besides, I don’t have that obsession for lottery like they do here in Spain.”  On the day the winners were announced, Mitsotakis says the villagers “didn’t even know what was happening to them”. As Spain battled economic crisis, many residents of Sodeto were facing debts on their farms and high irrigation bills.  But he says the win did not completely transform the town: “If you came here today and didn’t know anything different, you wouldn’t notice a thing. You don’t see fancy cars on the streets.”  He says he is impressed by the way the “humble” farming community has continued to work the land. “The only real difference is that houses have been enlarged and improved, and many of the young people who were thinking about moving on have decided to stay.”  Sodeto’s mayor, Rosa Pons, also claims that “nothing has changed except that young locals have greater opportunities now”. Asked if she benefitted from the bonanza, Pons replies: “Of course; we all did.”  Mitsotakis moved to Sodeto eight years ago having fallen in love with a local woman. The now ex-girlfriend was among the winning residents, picking up €100,000, having bought a tenth’s share in a €20 ticket.  Mitsotakis remembers how locals were convinced their luck was going to hold in the following year’s Fat One, which first began in 1812. “People spent thousands on tickets, much more than in the year they won, which was funny.”  Lightning did not strike twice. And now, Mitsotakis says, villagers’ biggest anxiety seems to be his film.  “They can’t understand how it can take so long to make a documentary,” he says. But soon, locals will finally get their chance to relive their moment of triumph. Mitsotakis is arranging an exclusive premiere of Cuando Tocó (the working international title means When Touched) early next year, only for Sodeto residents. The idea is to film the event and include locals’ reactions in the final version of the documentary.  “What happened in Sodeto is like a little social experiment happening before your eyes. When a lottery win happens in a big city, in two or three months you’d probably struggle to find any traces of it.”  Having previously made relatively obscure nature and historical documentaries, the Athenian film-maker is hopeful that Cuando Tocó will have a significant impact. It is being co-produced with a Danish firm and is slated for international cinema distribution. “We went to Cannes to pitch the film in 2012 and distributors were falling over each other to be involved,” says Mitsotakis.  Even so, wouldn’t he like to be able to trade in the opportunity of making the film for having bought a winning ticket in 2011? “I think I wouldn’t change anything, although at first I didn’t feel that way. I don’t like to think of life in terms of money, and I love what I do; it’s like my hobby, making films brings me pleasure.”  He has, however, bought a ticket for this year’s draw.
‘World’s unluckiest man’ to release documentary about small Spanish village of Sodeto where all but one shared in jackpot