The mall is 234 miles away. You have thrown 10,000 three-point shots on the dirt court behind the barn. You drive a backhoe after practice, supporting the family business. And you are 16-year-old girl.

Welcome to Class C.

“Class C” is a moving documentary that follows five girls’ basketball teams as they carry the hopes of their small communities to win the Montana Class C basketball championship. Out of 91 teams competing from the smallest schools in the state, only one will win it all.

The film portrays a changing rural America, as forces beyond the basketball court influence the dramas played out in every game. Teen pregnancy, school closures, agricultural decline and racial conflict shape the fortunes of each team. And as each fading town faces the hard realities of modern rural life, success on the court takes on a new significance. As one coach explains, “Communities live and die through these kids.”

Along the way, the film introduces a cast of quirky, charismatic and fiercely determined characters. As they dance the can-can, spray-paint three point lines onto the dirt behind the barn, and hustle on the court, the girls of “Class C” will make you laugh, cry and hope that their tiny towns can find some way to survive.

With an original score by the Grammy-nominated composer Philip Aaberg, “Class C” celebrates the resilience of small communities and the excitement of the only game in town.