Renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou has premiered his latest movie "Under the Hawthorn Tree" in Beijing. The film is a poignant love story set during the Cultural Revolution.

Zhang's trademark preoccupation with dazzling colors and choreography was put aside to tell this story, and he chose two relatively unknown actors, Zhou Dong Yu and Dou Xiao for this tale of simple love in a complex time.

The film follows a young woman Jingqiu whose family have been under close scrutiny since her father was labeled a right-winger. She met a handsome man named Laosan, who had a promising future because of his high-ranking military officer father. The couple fell in love, despite the gulf between their backgrounds.

Zhang says he decided to direct the film after being moved by the original story, especially that sentence-"I can't wait 13 months for you. I can't wait till I'm 25. But I can wait for you my entire life."

"When I first started shooting, I thought, no matter how the movie turns out, it has to end with this sentence. I hope with the language of film, I can convey the deep feeling to the audience and make it extremely memorable."

"Under the Hawthorn Tree" will be in theaters nationwide on Thursday, Sept 16.