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Topic Summary
How Does a Community Survive?
Rural communities around the world are fighting to stay alive. As urbanization and industrial growth accelerate, small towns face a growing brain drain, with young people leaving for better opportunities elsewhere. In China’s Guizhou Province, Rongjiang County has historically been one of the poorest regions in the country. Yet, it is also one of the most diverse, home to 15 ethnic groups, with over 80% of the population belonging to ethnic minority communities.
Nestled in the mountains on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, Rongjiang is a place where rice farming remains the primary livelihood, and villages of wooden homes feel untouched by time. While modern amenities like the internet exist, the region’s landscape and traditions have remained remarkably preserved. Summers are spent in rice fields and waterfalls instead of crowded cities, creating a dreamlike contrast to the urban sprawl of China’s megacities.
But how does a place like Rongjiang secure its future? This film explores how one community is using social media to reinvent itself. By showcasing their cultural heritage through Cunchao (Super Village), a grassroots soccer tournament, they have captured the attention of millions. In 2023, over two million people traveled to this rural county to watch farmers, electricians, and accountants play soccer. Over 50 million more streamed the games online.
The tournament has brought newfound tourism and economic opportunity to the region, but its long-term sustainability remains uncertain. Will people continue to return year after year? Has Rongjiang discovered a lasting future, or is Cunchao just another viral sensation in an oversaturated digital landscape?
At its core, this is a film about ordinary people. The only political debates here are over who should be in the starting lineup. By telling this story through sports and community identity, we remove barriers of bias and allow audiences to experience daily life in China without the filter of geopolitics. These are normal people, living lives not so different from those in small towns around the world.
For Western audiences, China’s everyday life is often obscured by political narratives. Cunchao offers an alternative entry point, one that is universal and deeply relatable. Sports bring people together in a way few other things can. Stadiums are among the last public gathering spaces in our increasingly digital world, and soccer has no official language. No words need to be spoken to understand the love of the game, the pride of representing one’s village, or the joy of community.
Whether in a village in Guizhou or a small town in Texas, the passion for local sports runs deep. Through the dedication of these players, thousands of visitors—and their economic support—are flowing into the countryside. Super Village is not just a documentary about soccer; it is a story about the power of community.