Victims of Sin

In the neon-lit Cabaret Chango, Cuban rumbera Violeta (Ninón Sevilla) attracts adoring crowds with her daring dance performances. When she rescues a baby from the garbage one night, she attracts the wrath of brutal gangster Rodolfo (Rodolfo Acosta) and is propelled into a desperate downward spiral. Violeta’s self-sacrifice attracts the potentially redemptive attention of rival club owner Santiago (Tito Junco), but the threat of tragedy is never far away. Gritty noir meets swooning melodrama and breathtaking musical performances in this stunning showcase for Sevilla. The pairing of director Emilio Fernández and cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa is widely acclaimed, but the often overlooked contribution of frequent collaborator Gloria Schoemann also deserves credit – as the editor of over 230 films across a 40 year career, Schoemann is one of the defining artists of the Mexican Golden Age.

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This film will be introduced by Leeds DIY Film Club Film Quarry.

Film Quarry is all about digging in to the past to shed light on cinema’s hidden gems, curating and contextualising classics to help you discover new favourites. Primary focusing on mid-century pictures, Film Quarry’s goal is to introduce audiences to classics outside the traditional cannon and strengthen connections with a previous era of cinema.