Yongjian Zhang

Inspired by real-life figures such as Mao Yongkuan, former Party Branch Secretary of Weiyuan Brigade in Youyu County, Deep Affection tells the moving story of generations of grassroots Party members and local officials who led the people of Youyu in their decades-long effort to plant trees and transform barren land into green hills. Through a renewed cinematic lens, the film portrays the enduring “Youyu Spirit” — a testament to perseverance, dedication, and collective strength. By illuminating the lives of ordinary yet steadfast individuals, Deep Affection reveals the profound sense of responsibility, mission, and human warmth that define China’s grassroots leadership.

Renhe Hospital nurse Zhang Shumei is forced to resign after being suspected of accidentally killing a patient. Zhang Shumei’s 4 year old daughter is abducted, and she herself dies in a car accident a couple of years later. 30 years later, Zhang Shumei’s son Zhuang Shu returns to the hospital as a surgeon who is intent on unraveling the secret behind his family’s misfortune.

An aspiring music lover, Yang Zhenzhen, becomes the assistant to arrogant idol Zheng Boxu and helps transform him into a true artist, all while she grows into a skilled manager and he faces fierce competition from rising star Yu Zirui.

The film is adapted from Yu Hua's novel "Alive".

During a time of war, a man joins the Communist party and starts on a road to revolution. In the year 1946 when the Nationalists and the Communists were engaging each other's forces in Dongbei, bandits have become a serious problem and caused much suffering among ordinary citizens. Yang Fenghuo is an anti-Japanese occupation hero who has retired from service. He and Gong Wantang are blood brothers and rivals in love, but Gong Wantang is the leader of the bandits. Song Yi is a military man on a mission to bring down the bandits which leaves Yang Fenghuo with a difficult dilemma as he has to choose between patriotism and loyalty to an old friend.

In the 1920s, the villagers of Hujiazhuang in southern Shaanxi resisted government impositions and were violently attacked, causing them to flee to Gouwa Mountain in Ziyun County, Henan. They formed a group led by Big Black Mule and a heroic female leader known as "Nai nai (Grandma)." Along the way, Grandma found a starving boy named Dogwa and adopted him. Ten years later, a drought struck Ziyun County, and local bandits targeted the villagers of Zhangjiabao. Grandma and Dogwa led their mountain group to rescue them. The son of a bandit leader, Li Dongqing, instigated an attack on Dogwa Mountain. Dogwa fought back, eliminating the security group and capturing Li Dongqing. They engaged in several battles, ultimately defeating the bandits and reclaiming Dogwa Mountain. When war broke out, Dogwa and his grandmother fought against the Japanese, thwarting their plan to attack the Eighth Route Army.

Set during the troubled times of the Republican era in Qingdao, it tells the story of corruption and betrayal, hatred and obsession and a soul-stirring love.