Center Stage

Hong Kong 1992, 120 min.

A film so delicate you can almost break it off in your hand, this is a stunning biography of Ruan Ling Yu, China's first real movie star, a woman who lived a "colorful" life and was dead before she was 25. Director Stanley Kwan deftly mixes his narrative with actual film clips, re-creations of lost films, interview with survivors, and his own conversations with his cast. The result is a kaleidoscope of emotion and tragedy. Maggie Cheung is nothing less than astonishing as Ruan and she is ably supported by Tony Leung.

Silver Berlin Bear for the Best Actress of Berlin International Film Festival 1992