After committing murder for the woman he loves, celebrated painter Jack is forced into hiding in the harbour district, where he rescues a young Malaysian woman named Song from two aggressive sailors. Grateful and captivated by him, Song joins Jack in a new life on the fringes of society, and together they begin performing in a vaudeville theatre. What begins as a romantic melodrama gradually unfolds into a richly layered tale of reinvention, filled with striking visual flourishes and beautifully choreographed dance sequences. The film is scored by renowned silent film accompanist Stephen Horne.

“An example of Weimar film culture’s transnational character in terms of its titular star and international distribution. The first film starring the Chinese American actress Anna May Wong – subject of a recent BFI retrospective curated by Dr Xin Peng entitled The Art of Reinvention – made in Europe after she left Hollywood to escape the typecasting she faced there. Shot in Berlin, but distributed by British International Pictures, the film was also the first of director Richard Eichberg’s Anglo-German co-productions. Wong plays the title character, a dancer drawn into a love triangle with a knife thrower and would-be train robber, Jack, stranded in Constantinople, and his mistress, Gloria. In the melodrama that ensues, featuring dance sequences and a botched train robbery, will Song be able to become more than just Jack’s ‘target girl’?” The Weimar Film Network

This special one-off screening is presented by the Weimar Film Network and is supported by the Filmmuseum Düsseldorf, with an introduction by Andreas Thein. Tickets are £8, with UPP Annual Members receiving a further £2 discount.

Andreas Thein is Head of Collections and Restoration at the Filmmuseum Düsseldorf, which holds the estate of forgotten Weimar superstar Harry Piel. He is constantly trying to unearth forgotten and neglected works of the Weimar era and to bring them back on the big screen. His restorations are being shown at nearly all important festivals and film heritage institutions.

The Weimar Film Network was founded in 2021 by Dr Molly Harrabin as part of her ongoing research and general enthusiasm for Weimar Cinema and is co-convened by Dr Lawrence Alexander. We aim to provide a sense of community between students, academics, and film enthusiasts, and our work may be of interest to those involved in areas outside of German Studies, such as Film Studies, History and History of Art. As well as publishing writing on Weimar film from contributors of all career stages, the Network also hosts speakers to spotlight emerging scholarship in the field: from book launches to work-in-progress seminars. You can find more information about the Network here.