Variety star Kaja falls in love with fisherman Peter. But he in a unfortunate situation kills a man and is sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Kaja promises to wait for him, but things go badly for her.
Acting
Asta Nielsen's face does what dialogue never could.
Direction
Wolff frames despair like it's beautiful. It works.
Director
Ludwig Wolff
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Asta Nielsen was 42 playing a young starlet, proving talent outlasts Hollywood ageism. She carried this entire film on her expressive face.
Made during Weimar Germany's hyperinflation, the film's economic desperation mirrors real audiences watching their savings evaporate. Art imitating catastrophe.