04
Director Statement
Cunchao or “Super Village” is an amateur soccer league of farmers that unexpectedly became a viral symbol for Chinese culture. We first learned about “Cunchao” from a text message, we woke up to videos of Yuxin’s parents visiting a packed stadium in a rural part of the province they lived in. We were amazed, confused and super curious. A stadium overflowing with thousands of people to watch farmers play soccer, in a country not know for it’s love of soccer. We had to go see it for ourselves, not just for the games, but for the energy around them: the food, the music, the sense of pride. People weren’t just showing up for soccer; they were showing up for each other.
In a sea of celebrity online influencers these are normal people using the digital world to preserve their physical space. Soccer is just the backdrop. What we’re really exploring is belonging; how one of the world’s most universal sports becomes a cultural anchor in a time of rapid change. Sports are one of the last public spaces that brings people together in person.This isn’t a political story. It’s a story about celebration, pride, and survival.
Rural places around the world are grappling with the same questions: How do we stay relevant? How do we hold onto our youth? How do we reinvent ourselves without losing who we are?
Cunchao is one community’s answer. What started as a Sunday league has become a cultural movement, drawing millions of viewers online and thousands of fans in person. But the pressures behind its popularity: urbanization, migration and the digital spectacle are shared across borders. Whether in Guizhou, Texas, or southern Italy, rural communities are finding creative ways to be seen. Super Village is hyper-local, but its story is global. We also hope the film offers a new way to see China. It bypasses geopolitics and presents people as they are: complex, joyful and determined. By leaning into observational storytelling, we let audiences draw their own conclusions.