A Little Red Flower

The story unfolds in a contemporary period, with Wei undergoing brain tumor treatment and navigating adolescence. The narrative covers the two years after his operation and culminates in a final return to Qinghai a year after Ma’s death, reflecting modern medical care, college life, and family resilience.

The film centers on a journey to Qinghai Lake, a remote high-desert environment that frames the characters' emotional arc. The setting alternates between the tranquil lake, the bustle of trains and travel, and the stark reality of hospital wards and family homes. The lake area is used as a symbolic space of memory and possibility, contrasting illness with the hope of ordinary life.

🕊️ Mortality

Death and the fragility of life are central as Wei cares for Ma in her final days, confronts his own mortality, and witnesses his parents’ preparations for a life without him. The film treats dying with tenderness, focusing on acceptance, memory, and the bond between caregiver and patient.

🤝 Friendship

Wei and Ma form a deep companionship that helps both characters cope with illness and isolation. Their shared imagination and mutual support reveal how friendship can create a sense of normalcy and resilience beyond medical constraints.

🎨 Imagination

Imaginary travel adventures serve as a coping mechanism, letting the characters explore possibilities beyond illness. These fantasies illuminate inner desires for ordinary experiences and provide emotional relief during difficult times.

🌌 Parallel Reality

Towards the end, Wei discovers that the visions of a healthy life may represent an alternate universe where cancer is absent. The idea of a parallel reality reframes death, memory, and the longing for a life unruled by disease.