It’s 1998 and fifth grader Xiaoyang is caught up in China’s World Cup obsession, but his strict father, who is also the school headmaster, forbids him from playing sports. He soon finds an ally in outspoken neighbor Grandpa Zheng, who secretly trains him for the soccer team tryout. But the summer takes a surprising turn when Xiaoyang sees what looks like a romance brewing between his father and a new teacher. End of Summer beautifully conveys the bittersweet coming-of-age of three different generations through the eyes of an innocent boy, set in the picturesque Venice-like region of Jiangnan.