During some troubled times in their homeland, a Chinese boy (Xu Xiaoli) and girl (Guo Ke-Yu) in their early teens are shipped off to Russia and enlisted into a boarding school. When the Nazis invade, they are split up, the former finding himself on Soviet turf and the latter a prisoner of war. Our young hero and a band of other children struggle to survive on the streets full of uncaring adults; our young heroine finds herself at the mercy of a warped German officer. Might these friends be reunited by the time the ending credits role? A true story which often brutally depicts war. Winner of a number of awards. Highly recommended!

Warning (rated NR): violence (mostly of a warring nature); adult themes; profanity; moderate nudity; sexual themes.

1995; aka Hong Ying Tao; in Mandarin, German and Russian with English subtitles (Note: most of the dialogue is in Russian; not every word is subtitled); 120 minutes; Guo Ke-Yu, Xu Xiaoli.