《牵牛花》是一部充溢着浓浓乡情、弥漫着荒诞色彩的故事片。小兔患有梦游症，９岁还没有上学，妈妈在剧团演戏，东奔西跑，只得把他送到乡村的舅爷家，希望在这安定清静的泽国里，把他的病治好。送走了妈妈，小兔随舅爷坐船回家。大狗江龙恶狠狠地朝他叫个不停，它的主人水船也阴沉地盯着他们，小兔感到恐惧。小兔只得适应乡下的生活，吃着芦秫，想着心事，和舅爷家的水牛顺顺一样懒散。当然，他还得每天喝舅爷给他熬的苦透苦透的中药。有一天，舅爷带小兔去大庙内拜菩萨，要小兔给他的爸爸求个平安。他们在庙内遇到凶恶的水船，舅爷和他吵了起来。事后舅爷告诉小兔，这水船的爹当年是土匪，被小兔的爷爷打死了，那时小兔的爷爷是剿匪队的，也负伤去世。小兔似懂非懂地听着。高中毕业的莲子姑姑坐着一叶小舟回家了，水船贪婪地瞧着。莲子姑姑给小兔带来了温馨和欢乐。她周到地照料着小兔，给他服药，帮他洗脚，安顿他睡觉，小兔勾着莲子姑姑的脖子，便会甜美地睡去。莲子姑姑是热心人，苇姑家的水珠子被蛇咬了，她竟用嘴去吸毒，弄得小兔呕吐起来。水船偷了莲子姑姑的内衣，和苇姑偷情时被发现，苇姑打了他耳光，说他吃着碗里看着锅里。小兔索要莲子姑姑的内衣，水船恶作剧地把小兔坐的船推向湖心，引起一场惊吓。莲子姑姑收到男友田林的信，舅爷说这孩子不错，复员回家就可以成亲。莲子姑姑说这是她的事，不喜欢的人她是死也不嫁的。县剧团来村子演出，带来了妈妈的信和一个军用小挂包，里面装着小凉鞋和一包咸鸡。晚上，小兔给妈妈写了信，莲子姑姑答应帮他托人寄出。第二天早晨，莲子姑姑发现他的脸蛋、小手脚上又脏又黑，她惊恐地意识到，小兔昨夜犯梦游症了。舅爷曾把小兔夜里下床小便错当成梦游，真的犯病，他们却全然不知晓。莲子姑姑在村口的船头上，找到了那封信。水珠子要去县剧团学演戏，送给小兔一只老大老大的乌龟，小兔子好高兴，舅爷家的牛犄角中间竟长出一个直直的尖角，舅爷用力削掉了它，说长在天门上要戳死人的，也不吉利。小兔子碰到水船，壮着胆子警告对方，以后不许他摸莲子姑姑晾在外面的衣服。水船恼羞成怒，把兔子扔进湖中。小兔受到太大刺激，发烧了，舅爷去找水船大吵了一架。晚上，兔子又犯梦游症，他拿着菜刀，去找水船算帐，面对恶人恶狗，毫无惧色。村里的人都被惊醒了，谁也不敢上前惊扰，他会真砍的。莲子姑姑冲上去夺兔子的刀，终于把他抱起来，自己却受了伤。莲子姑姑向水船索要被他夺去的乌龟，后遭到水船的戏弄。当她得知田林要和莲子姑姑结婚时，恼怒异常，杀了那只大乌龟，炖汤下酒吃。酒后的他又和苇姑偷情却毫无激情，因为心思全在莲子身上。过了不久，水牛顺顺脑袋中间又长出尖角，舅爷叫莲子姑姑带顺顺去镇上兽医站，把那个长角的地方给封死，否则要闯祸生事的。莲子姑姑要带兔子去镇上，想到莲子姑姑将要结婚和田林住在一起，兔子摇摇头拒绝了。莲子姑姑牵着顺顺走了。水船窥视着她，一直尾随着。兔子在家觉得无聊，四处闲逛，发觉那个黑乌龟壳高挂在水船家的屋檐下。他愤怒之极，拼命踢水船家锁着的门，伤心地哭了。莲子姑姑让兽医给顺顺看病。她逛街，买些小铁铲之类的日用品。她和同学们欢聚，热热闹闹。水船和他的恶狗江龙躲在一边，暗中跟着。莲子姑姑坐在牛背上，安然地往回赶路。兔子百无聊赖地看着蚯蚓从泥里钻出来，一只鸡越过篱笆飞上屋，他被一种不祥的感觉笼罩着。黄昏时，莲子姑姑正往回赶，忽然水船截住了她。他一边和莲子姑姑攀谈，一边贪婪地打量着这位动人的姑娘。油灯下，舅爷和兔子焦急不安地等着莲子姑姑。放在桌上的一叠碗不知何故翻倒在地，打得粉碎。天黑了，莲子姑姑坐在牛背上，让水船牵着缓慢地走到大庙前。水船忽然靠过去调戏莲子姑姑。莲子姑姑惊慌地避开。水船露出凶相，说不准她和田林结婚。莲子姑姑惊恐异常地盯着对方。水船一不做二不休，一下子把莲子姑姑从牛背上拖下来，掀翻在地。江龙和顺顺呆在一边，木然地瞧着眼前发生的一切。莲子姑姑竭力反抗，求水船放了她，可是没用。后来她忽然变得平静了，说：“我死也不会答应你的。”“那你就去死吧！”水船恶狠狠地拼命掐莲子姑姑的脖子，接着欲对莲子姑姑强行施暴，却发现她停止了反抗，黑发缓缓飘向一侧，那双明澈的大眼睛似乎在凝望月夜星空。水船楞了会儿才明白，原来莲子姑姑已经没有气息，她真的死了。水船一下子不知所措，恐怖攫住了他。家里，兔子和舅爷仍在苦等着莲子姑姑，他们紧张异样，象是预感到了不幸。水船用莲子姑姑的小铁铲挖了个坑，草草地把她掩埋了，带着江龙魂飞魄散地往回赶路。家里，兔子已经迷迷糊糊地睡去。舅爷等不及，提着马灯出门去寻莲子姑姑。舅爷在寻莲子姑姑的路上，竟又被丧心病狂的水船所害。兔子又犯梦游症了。他穿着内衣，拖着草鞋，走在寂静阴森的村道上。水船回来，见兔子直挺挺地坐在他家门口，吓得魂不守舍地躲到草垛里，连江龙也瑟瑟发抖。免子回到自家门口，发现了顺顺。顺顺见到兔子，转身就跑，兔子跟着顺顺一直跑到掩埋莲子姑姑的地方。他用一双小手刨挖泥土，终于把莲子姑姑挖出，可兔子怎么也摇不醒她。他哭了，回到家里躺到床上又睡去，十个手指都渗出了血。莲子姑姑在顺顺的拨弄下居然醒了。顺顺把她驮回家。顺顺叼着舅爷扔下的马灯愣愣地望着湖水。顺顺终于发狂了，它冲向水船家，先是和江龙撕打，接着以三只强壮无比的牛犄角捅穿水船的木门。门外，莲子姑姑披头散发地站着，水船吓得魂不附体。只听一声撕心裂肺的惨叫，水船恶有恶报……告别的日子到了。莲子姑姑驾船送兔子回爸爸妈妈那儿去，他该上小学了。兔子用绷着纱布的手指抚摸一群鸡雏，莲子姑姑的脸贴着兔子，蹭他……

Screenplay: Hu Xueyang
Director: Hu Xueyang
Starring : Jindao Xinxin,Zhang Menxi, Chang Rong
Cinema Photographer: Qu Jiazhen
Art Director: Xue Jianna
Sound: Feng Deyao
Music: Su Junjie Vicual Effect: Lisa Etkinson
Production Manager: Yang Gongmin
Producer: Cynthia Wu
Executive Producers: Jimmy Wu, Zhu Yongde

A turbulent time. A lost innocent. A courageous awakening.

A young boy sleepwalks into a shrouded reality of murder and rape in a small fishing village, amidst the emerging political and cultural turbulence of 1970’s China.

China, early 1970’s. The Cultural Revolution takes root. And on the banks of the Yangzi River, a nine-years-old boy, Little Rabbit, comes to live with his Granduncle, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, and his beautiful nineteen-years-old cousin, Lotus, in a small fishing village.
Since Little Rabbit’s father was sent to a labor camp for his anti-cultural revolution behavior, his mother has little time to care for Little Rabbit while performing in a theater group on tour for local factories and villages. Little Rabbit’s mother hopes that the tranquil countryside village will provide a cure for her troubled son. He befriends a young boy and discovers the simple pleasures of village life, playing with Lotus’ pet water buffalo, Shun Shun. But after overhearing that his father is seeking a divorce from his mother, Little Rabbit reverts to a dream world from which no one can extract him, living a life of solitude and introversion. He walks in his sleep.
Little Rabbit is overcome by a feeling that an unspeakable danger is lurking in the village. His Auntie Lotus becomes the object of the local Boatman’s lascivious desires. Little Rabbit dislikes the Boatman who taunts him with stories about his father.
After a visit with school friends in the city, Lotus journeys home with her beloved Shun Shun and is met by the Boatman. He escorts her home. Entranced by Lotus’ beauty, the Boatman is mesmerized by her soft, supple skin, the curve of her white neck, and the fullness of her breasts. He covets her. Then, as they near the village amidst the darkness, he succumbs to his uncontrollable urges and grabs Lotus off Shun Shun, throwing her to the ground. Blinded with raging desire, he rapes her. He buries an unconscious Lotus.
Meanwhile, the Granduncle alarmed that his daughter has not yet returned, he searches for sings of Lotus in the fields amidst the darkness, only to meet his death with a blow from the Boatman. Overcome with a shuddering uneasiness, a slumbering Little Rabbit walks in the night. Shun Shun leads Little Rabbit to the site where Lotus is buried. He unconsciously digs her up and returns to his bed. Raging with anger, Lotus’ beloved Shun Shun stampedes the Boatman’s home, killing his pet dog. Wrought with fear, a nervous Boatman cowers in a comer as he hears his avenger near. Justice prevails. The next morning, Little Rabbit awakes to a changed village. He remembers nothing.