Anna May Wong: Frosted Yellow Willows

Sultry, strong-minded and endlessly complex, Anna May Wong (1905-1961) was that rare and true global star: a fashion icon, international celebrity and one of the most influential actresses of the 20th Century. To review her filmography is to view cinema history, from her starring role in the first Technicolor film The Toll of the Sea, to her legendary train ride opposite Marlene Dietrich in Shanghai Express.

Ten years in the making, Elaine Mae Woo’s revealing documentary—the first film to explore Wong’s fascinating and tumultuous personal life—offers a rare look into the world of the woman who “died a thousand deaths” (often to prevent her from consummating interracial love on-screen), defined the role of the dragon lady, and yet brought nuance to the limited roles offered her as an Asian American actress in Hollywood.

Narrated by actress Nancy Kwan, who rose to stardom a generation after Wong, and constructed of many never-before-seen photographs and film clips, the film chronicles the different eras of her life, from her youth in Los Angeles, to her years in Europe (where she starred in such masterpieces as Piccadilly and Pavement Butterfly), to her political activism in support of China during World War II. Wong passed away unexpectedly in 1961, shortly after she was cast in Flower Drum Song, that groundbreaking Asian American film which would usher in a new generation of stars and sensibilities—a film which she sadly never appeared in, yet which could not have been made without her.

Screens with Long Story Short (52mins).