Fourteen-year-old Qui Che grows up with his grandparents in a remote village in rural China, while his mother works in the city to support her family. Struggling with loneliness, he pours his emotions into his diaries, writing songs and poems. Left Behind is a heartwarming coming-of age drama, that offers a rare insight into Chinese society.

A boy misses his mother, who has gone to the city to earn money, and shares his daily life alone in a diary. The film sharply depicts the social reality where rural areas can no longer sustain living and education, through the eyes of the boy. Like hopeful lyrics about the future, his dream of becoming a singer sustains him. However, the uneducated yearning for success of his parents' generation bitterly transforms his passion for music into a matter of competition and achievement. Through the stark contrasts of urbanization and family life, the film questions the values we are losing. (Suan Seol)