Director/Screenwriter: Zhu Minjiang
Genre: Feature Film
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year of Release: 2024
Synopsis:
Yu Kun, once the ace pitcher wearing No. 9 and a member of China’s national baseball team, is forced to retire after a shoulder injury ends his career. Disheartened and adrift, he accepts an invitation from the school principal and teacher Zhema to coach a team of young herders who have never played baseball before. Among them is Dorje, a boy obsessed with winning. Under Yu Kun’s guidance, the ragtag team gradually transforms from fragile novices into determined competitors.
Through sweat, tears, and fierce emotional conflict, the players push their physical and mental limits—fighting self-doubt, defying fate, and ultimately earning a place in the national championship. But just as they are about to make history, Coach Yu unexpectedly disappears. In that decisive moment, Dorje, now wearing the No. 9 jersey, steps up to the plate…
Awards & Honors:
Nominated for Most Media-Attention Film, 21st Shanghai International Film Festival
Selected for Media Focus Section, 21st China Movie Channel Awards
Winner of Best Feature Film, 2024 Netherlands Septimius Awards
Nominated for Best Feature, 7th Aryan International Children’s Film Festival
Official Selection, 19th Changchun Film Festival
Nominated for Golden Angel Award, 20th Chinese American Film Festival
Finalist, 20th Beijing International Sports Film Week