9-Man

Filmmaker Ursula Liang's documentary centers on a form of minority-group "streetball" practiced in grassroots fashion in urban lots in ethnic enclaves across North America. And, no, it's not pickup basketball. With roots in Toisan, China, 9-Man is a high-speed volleyball variation that uses nine players instead of six, a game that flourishes in the Chinatown neighborhoods of Boston, Toronto, Washington D.C., San Francisco, et al. 9-Man is so strongly a part of the oriental tradition that, even in diversity-obsessed America, strict rules decree that all players must be males of Asian descent. 9-Man follows several teams, including Toronto's Connex and the Boston Knights, as they compete on an established circuit for championship honors. "I have heard...that we are considered a cult," Toronto's Jeff Chung says with pride, although the sport's restrictions certainly also say something larger about the somewhat insular culture. Part cultural anthropology, part sports film, 9-Man, which aired on PBS's America ReFramed series, is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)