Under the Hawthorne Tree

Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010) is a Chinese-Hong Kong co-production directed by Zhang Yimou, based on the novel Hawthorn Tree Forever by Ai Mi. The film tells the story of Jing Qiu, a high school student sent to re-education in rural China during the Cultural Revolution, where she falls in love with Lao San, a young soldier. Despite class divide and parental disapproval, their romance blossoms amidst turbulent times, but is ultimately tested by Lao San's illness and his promise to wait for Jing Qiu until she grows up.