STUDENT FEEDBACK: 

"I thought the 9-man documentary was refreshing. It showcased a different side of Asian culture, my culture, that I had never experienced before. And I was pleased to see some reconciliation between my interest in volleyball and my cultural identity. While I understand the need to maintain the sense of culture, I am somewhat conflicted about the heritage rules in 9-man. All in all, an engaging, interesting documentary that presents Chinese culture in a completely different light than what I'm used to seeing, a portrayal that's nuanced, unconventional, and in some ways more accurate." -Melody Tan, High School Senior

"Something in 9-Man that stood out to me was the vehement interest among non-Asians to not only watch but to engage in the game. I am used to seeing people advocating for more minority participation in both political and recreational causes, but 9-Man exposed me to a scenario where the situation is reversed --- white, black, and multiracial people eager to play, but, ironically, are not allowed to. It is nice to see that spectators, regardless of their ethnicities, embrace the culture of 9-Man and accept it's semi-exclusive rules as Asian Americans' means to protect their heritage. I think the documentary 9-Man does a good job portraying the history and implication of an activity like 9-Man, a tradition that has morphed to accord with the western culture but has also endured the pressure to abandon cultures from home." -Belle Chen, High School Senior

"I enjoyed watching 9-Man and it was interesting to see the insulation of the sport. I think it was good to see how Asian-Americans were portrayed in the movie because with my background, I felt a connection to a few of them and how their eligibility was questioned because they don't 'look Asian.'" -Evan Jenness, High School Freshman

IS YOUR SCHOOL ON THE LIST? Check 9-Man out at these great institutions: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Duke University, Stanford University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, City University of New York, York University, University of Toronto, Bates College, Oberlin College, Amherst College, Iowa State University, Emory University, Columbia University, University of Denver, Bryn Mawr College, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Washington State University, Santa Clara Public Library, Chinese Historical Society of New England, University of Houston-Downtown, Milton Academy, University of British Columbia, Brown University, Emerson College, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Chinese American Museum of Chicago, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, George Mason University, Taft High School, the ASU School of Social Transformation, University of Richmond, Suffolk University, Ithaca College, Cornell University, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, UC Santa Barbara, Chapman University, Rice University, Princeton University, Westchester Community College, Boston College, Phillips Exeter Academy, California State University/Northridge, DePaul University, Vassar College and more!

OUR NEW EDUCATOR'S GUIDE TO 9-MAN IS NOW AVAILABLE!

The official 9-Man Digital Educator's Guide was created by a team of great folks at the NFB's Education division and includes context for both U.S. and Canadian students. The film and study guide can be used to provide a glimpse into the histories of Chinese American and Canadian people, focusing on sport and cultural history; provide a point of discussion for the role of sport in identity formation and community building (i.e. for immigrants, citizens, refugees); and provoke a discussion of how notions of membership, inclusion, exclusion and boundaries are determined, how they are reinforced and the consequences of in/exclusion.