Through his biography on legendary actress Ruan Lingyu, director Stanley Kwan commemorates the work of those who worked in Shanghai’s Lianhua Studios in the 1930s: Lo Ming-yau, Lai Manwai, Lam Cho-cho, Chen Yanyan, Cai Chusheng, Sun Yu, Wu Yonggang and many others. Instead of telling the story of Ruan’s tragic life, Kwan turns the focus to the actress’ relationships with her friends and colleagues. Using the style of a docudrama, Kwan inserts documentary and interview footage to offer a comparison between the flourishing film world of 1930s Shanghai and the golden age of Hong Kong cinema in the early 1990s. Maggie Cheung won the Best Actress Award at the Berlin Film Festival for her heartrending performance as Ruan.

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