No subtitle track in this language
Wikimedia Commons · Sun Yu · Public domain
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: Chinese. No subtitle track in this language.
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Synopsis
A naturally talented runner enters a women’s sports school in Shanghai. Success attracts attention, admiration and distractions she has never faced before. As competitive ambition begins to shape her relationships, she must decide what athletic achievement is for and whether winning alone can provide an answer.
Cast
DirectorsSun Yu
Historical context
The athletic heroine reflects contemporary arguments about physical education and national strength. Sun Yu builds the film around training, movement and Li Lili’s performance rather than presenting sport only as a decorative backdrop.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.
Availability checked on September 11, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Li Lili — Unknown photographer, 1930s; source Sina, via Wikimedia Commons. Commons source was already denoised and sharpened. · Public domain — PD-China and PD-1996
