The film A Class of One, starring Sun Haiying and 9-year-old Wang Naixun, reveals the pain and struggle of a group of vulnerable youngsters in rural China. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"I was born in a village. My father went to work in the city when I was young. He only came back once a year. I missed him so much," recalls Li during an interview with China Daily.

A native of Central China's Hunan province, Li stood out among his teenage peers for his painstaking dedication to his studies. After graduating from Hengyang Art Vocational School in 1999, he continued his studies at Beijing Film Academy-a prestigious school that has nurtured some of China's top cinematic talent-between 2002 and 2006.

Since then, Li has developed his interest in filmmaking, becoming a firm admirer of Swedish master Ingmar Bergman and US filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.

"I believe films should be more serious productions that explore social issues, instead of merely providing shallow entertainment," says the 39-year-old filmmaker.

"And I want to tell people about the changes taking place in rural societies and their effects on the people there."

He says he began to write the story of A Class of One in 2006 and had revised it many times.