Zhang Yimou’s love story screens at Berlinale1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFamous Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s latest film “Under the Hawthorn Tree” opened Saturday to young audiences at the Berlin Film Festival.
The film tells a love story between Jing Qiu and Lao San, two young lovers coming of age during the cultural revolution in China (1966-1976), whose different socio-economic backgrounds at that time made a lasting romance nearly impossible.
Lead actors of the film Shawn Dou (Lao San) and Dongyu Zhou (Jing Qiu) attended the opening night screening in Berlin. The famed director Zhang Yimou was unable to come as he is currently on location filming a new movie.
“We were really honored to work for Zhang Yimou,” said Dou, who is now a student at Beijing Film Academy, where Zhang also graduated. “He taught us how to be in the role. At first, we didn’t know anything about acting. It was an unforgettable experience, a turning point in our lives.”
