The Ballad of Yaya (1970)

1937. Yaya, a wealthy 9-year-old Chinese girl raised in the French Concession in Shanghai, loves playing piano, just like her mother. When the Japanese invade China, Yaya, not realizing her Music Academy entrance exam is cancelled, still tries to turn up. Her parents, who have accepted protection from the French Consul and were hoping to board the last boat to Hong Kong, now have to find their daughter in the occupied city. But Yaya, saved from an air raid by Tuduo, a street-smart urchin, believes she’s messed up and that her parents had to leave without her. So begins her long journey to Hong Kong to find them with her new friend Tuduo.