WHAT IS JIÀOLIÀN [COACH] ?

Jiàoliàn [Coach] is a feature length documentary about 27 year-old Norman de Silva who overnight was given the head coaching job of the Chinese Basketball Association’s (CBA) Foshan Long Lions. Every year the US outsources more and more low end manufacturing jobs to China,  but an area where China is turning the tables and outsourcing jobs from the U.S. is basketball. In a move to make the CBA games more exciting and to enhance the training and development of local players the CBA allows each team to contract up to two American players and an American coach. For Norman, China is an opportunity of a lifetime, but as he delves deeper into the lives of his players, he sees kids that have been put through exhausting and mundane daily routines for years to become model basketball players. In order to win, Norman has to help his players to fall in love with basketball again. Jiàoliàn [Coach] is a rare time-capsule of what it means to play basketball in China at a time where age-old eastern practices are clashing with new western methods.

WHY THIS INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN?

We started this Indiegogo campaign because we want to share this film with the world.  Jiàoliàn [Coach] is a story about cultures being bridged through the joy of playing basketball and through the campaign we want to connect to all the basketball fans out there.  More than just financing, this Indiegogo campaign lets us reach out to audiences far and wide and lets distributors and festival programmers know that this is a film people care about . 

Without the audience's support, independent projects like Jiàoliàn [Coach] wouldn't exist, so please join us and share this campaign by text, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, email and whatever hot new thing people are using. 

Thank you to all of you who have liked and followed our pages on Facebook, tweeted about us, and helped spread the word. 

We can't do this without you!

WHERE WILL DONATIONS GO?

Making a documentary film is often a long road, but we're near the end. There are several key steps to finish the movie before presenting it as a finished and polished product to film festivals and potential distributers.

First, Maybe Mars has donated most of their catalogue for us to use for free but our film has a lot of music and some of it needs to be licensed. 

The same goes for archival footage. 

Second, we need to do a sound mix of the film with a professional studio so the film sounds clear across all platforms. And our film especially needs that as we were often filming in noisy stadiums!

Third, we need to do a color correction for the entire film so that the image is cohesive and uniform through out.

And lastly, we need to finalize graphics, add subtitles, and master the film onto Tape, Blu-ray and DCP, all of which require a professional post production house and equipment. And if it all goes right, Jiàoliàn [Coach] will be playing in festivals and in your homes very soon!

TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION

Your donation is tax deductible! Jiàoliàn [Coach] is a fiscally-sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions on behalf of Jiàoliàn [Coach] are payable to IDA and are tax deductible less the value of any goods or services received, as allowed by law. The value of goods and services being offered is noted under each donation level. If you would like to deduct the entire donation you have the option to simply decline the reward at checkout.

If you would like to donate by check, please email the producers at jiaolian@quebrachoproductions.com. 

THE PERKS

Your donation comes with a perk if you chose to accept it.  You can read all about them to our right  and below you will find an image of the Official  Jiàoliàn [Coach] Poster and the Official Jiàoliàn [Coach] T-Shirt. 

A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Esteban on Location (photo credit: Jason Lee Wong)

While living in China, I was surprised how basketball had taken roots in the country. I had no idea the sport would be so popular, as an Argentinian I naturally assumed soccer was the world’s most popular sport. I was shocked to find that in China basketball has really capture the hearts and minds of the youth, and that is what sparked my journey into the world of The Chinese Basketball Association.

To be honest, this has been a very difficult doc to edit. I set out to make positive doc about cultures coming together and while we captured the beauty and universality of the game we also captured how the cultures clashed. Notably it was Kai Chen, a former national team player who really broke down some of the facade for us.  The obstacles that the CBA faces as it struggles to modernize mirror the challenges China faces as a whole.

 “In Springfield, Massachusetts there is the Basketball Hall of Fame. Do you know who Michael Ray Richardson is? He was banned from the NBA because of drugs. But his name is in the Hall of Fame! In China, they don’t keep any history, because they are afraid of history.” – Kai Chen, Former China National Team player

During my interview with Kai Chen we spoke at length about the need for history and accountability in China. China is modernizing so fast in an effort to catch up with the 1st world that it is bulldozing all evidence of its complicated history. New high-rises and McDonalds pop up overnight as old villages and neighborhoods are wiped away. Meanwhile players that defected during politically sensitive times like Kai Cheng are forgotten about. This documentary aims to, at the very least, honestly capture a story of what is means to be a basketball player in China during this dynamic era. 

WHO WE ARE

Esteban Argüello - Producer & Director

Esteban at Film Independent's Work-In-Progress Screening.

Originally from Argentina, Esteban Argüello is a filmmaker and editor. His films include Jiàoliàn [Coach] (2014), “Todavía Trabajando” (2013, winner of best documentary short at AUFF ‘13), “The Girl with the Tuba” (2012), “The Precision of Paul” (2011), and “Margaret’s Son” (2008). In 2009, he was awarded Film Independent’s Project:Involve Fellowship. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts. 

Xuan Jiang - Producer

Xuan Jiang graduated from the Beijing Broadcasting Institute (2001) and began television production work at News Corporation China.  In 2004, Jiang entered the MFA program for Film Directing at California Institute of the Arts. Jiang’s interest in filmmaking grew out of her desire to explore stories and emotions she experienced while growing up in Beijing during a transformative post-cultural revolution era in China.  Her films have screened at Sundance, Cannes, and many more festivals.

Giulia Caruso - Producer

Born in Italy, Giulia is now based in Los Angeles, where she is a partner in the independent production company Nonetheless Productions. With Nonetheless, she produces a variety of content from commercials and web series to feature films – both as a line producer and a creative producer. Her films have screened at Sundance, SXSW, BAFICI, among others.

Roy Bemelmans - Composer

Dutch composer Roy Bemelmans writes music that seems to lend itself perfectly to supporting images.  His documentary credits include The Past as Future and A Blooming Business. 

Miranda Yousef - Editor

Miranda Yousef is a feature documentary editor with credits on films that have played Sundance, Tribeca, PBS and HBO.  

Scott Grossman - Graphics

Scott Grossman is a multidisciplinary Art Director, Designer, and Illustrator that specializes in unique visual solutions for film, television and new media with  a strong emphasis on design and typography.

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WITH GRATITUDE, 

The crew of Jiàoliàn [Coach]