At the age of eight, the now 25-year-old director caused an incident, which has remained traumatic as he became older. Although it seemed just a trivial matter, something one might expect from children, he obstinately questions his family, friends and teachers about what happened at that time. Worrying over the thoughts of dishonor he saw in his family’s eyes then, he has fostered a self-hatred over the years. As if reconstructing the past with his camera, he attempts to free himself of this self-hatred, shedding tears for himself at times and opening his own wounds, then healing them. What he has discovered through filmmaking was his once sealed “self.” The question now is, where to go from here?
年轻的歌女红牡丹(胡蝶 饰)与青年姜禹承相爱并订下终身,然而命运却弄人,她被迫嫁给了无赖陈发祥。红牡丹凭借着她精湛的歌艺成为名角,但陈却荒废红牡丹辛苦挣来的金钱。一次在上海演出时,红牡丹与姜禹承重逢,姜得知红牡丹已经嫁给他人并生下了女儿,心怀愤懑离去。陈的卑劣行径给红牡丹带来了巨大的打击,她突然失去了歌声,名誉也随之一落千丈。陈为了赌博将女儿抵押,后又骗走女儿将其卖到妓院还债。红牡丹为了寻找女儿而苦苦追寻,直到陈良心发现,说出了真相。幸运的是,姜禹承及时出现,帮助红牡丹将女儿赎回。然而,陈与人发生争执,不慎将人打死。红牡丹出于宽恕之心,放过了陈,但却因此被判刑入狱。多年后,母女终于再次相聚,而陈则悔恨当初的种种罪行,最终在监狱里离世。这个故事充满了情感的起伏和命运的坎坷,展现了人性的复杂与善恶的较量,同时也表达了宽恕与重逢的美好。