Shennü (The Goddess)

Cina 1934, 73 min., English subtitles

Before she took her own life at the age of 24, Ruan Lingyu was hailed as the symbol of the suffering Chinese nation for the powerful performances she gave in a series of social dramas made between 1927 and 1935. In Shennü, her next-to-last film, she portrays a single mother whose only hope for supporting her son is to submit to a life of prostitution. The tragic ordeal she endures to guarantee her child's welfare makes for a heartbreaking look at life in an intolerant society.