Clash

Official Selection, 2025 International Film Festival Rotterdam

It’s American football with Chinese characteristics in CLASH, a rowdy sports comedy that also happens to be based on a true story. The film’s unlikely hero is Liu Yonggan, a delivery man known for his footspeed while fending off bullies during his tofu pudding deliveries. On one run, he inadvertently passes by some footballers who see in him the answer to their gridiron woes. They recruit him on the spot. Now to fill in the rest of the team.

Motivated by a one million RMB prize, Yonggan gathers a colorful cast of neighborhood misfits, including a freight hauler, a gangster, and a middle-aged corporate manager. As they overcome personal struggles and rally together, the film delivers all the beloved elements of an underdog sports drama and a ripped-from-the-headlines culture clash.

– Yang Jiang