In 2006, two filmmakers, ryan fleck and anna boden, rushed into the vast field of independent production with their big-screen debut "Half Nelson". This film tells a very sensitive and refined story. It not only won five nominations for the Spiritual Independence Award, but also won Ryan Gosling the nomination for the Best Actor in the Oscar ... From the perspective of this independent production of Baseball Boy, it is still full of extremely talented and bold and innovative descriptions. Fraker and Burton once again created another incredible "civilian hero" Miguel Santos-he is the future star of baseball. Because of his excellent skills and talents, he came from a poor village in Dominica.

"Baseball Boy" tells an immigrant story that deviates from the traditional description, testing and redefining the true meaning of the so-called "American Dream" ... ryan fleck has been a baseball fan all his life, and he naturally knows everything about this sports event-long ago, Fleck knew that Dominica, a small island country, has been transporting the most talented players in their country for American baseball teams. It has lasted for decades, and many baseball superstars, including home run hero Sammy Sosa, great ace pitchers Juan Marichar and Pedro Martinez, came from there. However, almost a few years ago, fraker didn't realize why this artificial phenomenon formed a social atmosphere in Dominica. It was not until he and his film partner anna boden learned that the Dominican Republic was the "hometown" of the reserve resources of every major professional league team in the United States that they were quickly attracted by this powerful report that could not be ignored. Flach said: "We are not interested in the legends of Dominican players becoming superstars, because these legends have been described countless times. What we want to know is the story behind those unknown people, which you may never hear. "

In this movie, the audience will follow Miguel, a talented player from Dominica, and experience all the games he played for minor professional teams in the United States. Anna boden said: "I think what is told here is an atypical story of chasing dreams. There is no hero who struggled for success and eventually led the team to win the championship, but he is concerned about a very special person who is trying to adapt to the new world in front of him. For the immigration topic that has been plaguing the United States, this is obviously a different story, because our protagonist here finally stayed in a small town in Iowa, instead of going to a big city to find a so-called better life. "

The continuity of baseball history in Dominican Republic has reached an alarming level. This sport has been popular for at least a whole century, and it is generally regarded as the fastest way to get rich-to help yourself and your family get rid of poverty by playing in the United States. It is conservatively estimated that 15% of the official players in Major League Baseball are from Dominica-this statistic also makes Dominica the country with the richest baseball players after the United States. What is even more impressive is that more than 30% of the players in the minor league baseball are Dominicans. They are all very talented players, and they come to America to make reserves for their future star status. Every year, hundreds of hopeful Dominicans go to specialized baseball colleges for further study in order to show their proud skills to scouts from the United States. However, only a few of them can get the chance to enter the American professional team, and the competition is fierce. Ryan fleck said, "In my opinion, Baseball Boy will help people learn something about baseball that they have never heard of. At the same time, the film also tells an emotional story related to' growth' and self-discovery. I believe that many people can resonate with such struggle and persistence. "

Dominica's cruel player selection system

In order to get more first-hand information, Ryan Flack and anna boden began to spend a lot of time in Dominica to better understand how the local baseball community works. They set the object of their first meeting as the retired baseball player Naboa Jr., who is now the deputy general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team ... Novoa became a professional baseball player from a training camp called "Baseball City"-most scenes of the baseball boy were also filmed there, and he is becoming a professional baseball player. Under the recommendation of Nopoya, fraker and Burton talked with many players and college leaders successively, and learned why those very talented 16-year-old baseball players crowded into the "Baseball Academy" with overwhelming momentum, because only here can their ultimate potential be evaluated. If their conditions meet the strict standards of the college, they will stay here for a while. Four weeks at most, waiting for them will be a higher level exam. Nopoya said: "At that time, we have to make a decision to see if we like the child in front of us and whether we should sign him."

Once these young players have passed the test, they have been affirmed and won high bonuses. If a player finally signs a contract, he will get a very representative bonus of $20,000, which is undoubtedly equivalent to a huge sum for a poor country. But for those children who haven't reached the age of 16, they are still deeply attracted by the huge baseball training system in China. Anna boden explained: "Dominica is full of very independent private training institutions, which are responsible for absorbing children who have not yet reached the age. Some coaches also began to give personal guidance to children when they were very young. For Dominica, baseball has almost become a national sport. Many children go to school in the morning and train in the afternoon. Some children drop out of school at the age of 12 or 13, and then play baseball day and night for that distant dream. This situation has caused a series of terrible consequences. Once these children do not achieve the expected results in baseball, there is almost no turning back for them who have not received education. "

When Ryan Flack and anna boden heard many stories about Dominican players, the film atmosphere around Miguel began to show up. Fraker said: "Even if the film finally tells a personalized story of a special person's special experience, all the content is accumulated from the real experience that we have heard about the players."

Immediately after the script was finished, Ryan Flack and anna boden called the producers of Half Nelson, Jamie Pat Rykov, Jeremy Kip Walker and Paul S. Mazer. Mezey) ... Patrick's husband said, "What fraker and Burton created is a story full of sincerity and honesty, which is not only a myth and legend of how a poor boy from a small village tried to get out of trouble and finally successfully entered the American baseball professional system, but also a description of the possibility that dreams can bring you and the importance of passion. At the same time, before embarking on a journey, make sure that what you are pursuing is what you really want. "

Similarly, Paul S. Mezei was deeply attracted by the themes of self-discovery and identity in the play. He said: "Of all the movies that tell the story of immigrants, Baseball Boy has expounded a completely different point of view and witnessed a life journey of finding the true self. Baseball is everything to Miguel, the hero of the film, but he suddenly realizes and questions: What should he do if the sport he is so good at suddenly leaves him one day? "

Paul S. Mezei's previous works-such as Maria Full of Grace and Our Song by HBO Film Company-are very similar to Baseball Boy, and they are all topics related to the struggle between immigrants and the working class. Mezei said: "I think it is necessary for us to keep the world shown in the film as authentic as possible.