A Way Home (2013)

Almost no outsiders know Manipur - for centuries a flourishing Tibeto-Burman kingdom of artists and warriors that originated polo, five forms of martial arts, timeless dance and music. After World War II Manipur was strong-armed into the Indian Union, triggering a corrosive - brutally policed - separatist conflict. Violence, poverty, arms and heroin trafficking have isolated this lush hill state that shares a porous Himalayan border with Burma and the Golden Triangle. In defiance of all this Manipuris seek cohesion and connection to the wider world through the sport that Babe Ruth called "the only real game." Many of the most gifted, dedicated players in Manipur are women and girls; and women are at the forefront of peace and justice initiatives. For decades baseball has provided both release from daily struggles in Manipur, and a wild hope for healing a wounded society. In "THE ONLY REAL GAME" (title change from "A WAY HOME"), this dream moves toward reality when a small group of Americans, along with two Major League Baseball International coaches, join Manipuri men, women and kids to Play Ball ... Shining light on a hidden, strife-torn culture in one of the world's oldest and most populous civilizations is reason enough for a documentary. But when that film arises from unique sports collaboration - in which women are a driving force - it is a story that must be told.