There’s a special place on the southern shore of Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River known as Cleveland. It is the site of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the home of the Indians, Browns and the Cavaliers. But it’s also the home of an agonizing losing streak. 

Of all American cities that have at least three major sports franchises, Cleveland was the only one that failed to win a championship in the last half-century (until the summer of 2016). Those sports teams, and the hearts they’ve broken over and over again, have inspired a different name for the city, and the title for this 30 for 30 film.

This evocative documentary takes you on a trip that captures the seminal ups and downs of the once-thriving metropolis — Superman, after all, was created there. Despite the economic and athletic misfortunes, the people still believe and worship Jim Thome and Jim Brown and LeBron James. But they also can’t forget Edgar Renteria and John Elway and Michael Jordan, the men who extinguished their dreams of a long-awaited championship. 

Painful as it is, “Believeland” is a celebration of faith, a testament to how much sports mean to Cleveland, and how much Cleveland means to sports.