China's documentary on rural football released

The first documentary exploring rural football education in China, also the first based on rural children in Gansu province, was released Sept 6 in Lanzhou.

The film Kick it, Kid was shot in Zhonglianchuan primary school,Yuzhong county, Lanzhou city in Gansu.

The football team featured in the film lives in poverty-stricken areas and most of its members are left-behind children.

Despite the difficulties these children face, many have been admitted to the Evergrande football academy in Guangzhou and the Chengdu Football Association youth team thanks to their passion for football and persistent training. Eight students have also been to Britain for further study.

Zhonglianchuan is represented by one of the best football teams in the province.

According to the film's director, Zhao Guopeng, there was no script, no actors and no fiction. All the scenes and dialogue presented in the film are real and natural.

During nearly three years, the documentary team traveled with the children to Beijing, Chengdu and Henan provinces and the UK.

The film is a record of the lives of these children and their teachers, showing their emotional ups and downs and the struggles faced by the families attending the school.

The film also illustrates Lanzhou's achievements in poverty alleviation, capturing the province's spirit of self-improvement, hard work and struggle against poverty.

"With commercial films dominating the mainstream of the film market, there is no doubt that Kick it, Kid is a breath of fresh air from the mountains," Zhao said.

"I want the audience to see a different life of the people in the remote mountains."