1921. In search of a new start and the American dream, Ewa Cybulska and her sister, Magda, sail from their native Poland to New York. When they reach Ellis Island, doctors discover that Magda is ill, and the two women are separated: Magda is quarantined, while Ewa is released onto the mean streets of Manhattan. Alone, with nowhere to turn and desperate to reunite with her sister, Ewa quickly falls prey to Bruno, a charming but wicked man who takes her in and forces her into prostitution. The arrival of Orlando— Bruno’s cousin, a dashing stage magician—restores her self-belief and her hopes for a brighter future. But she has not reckoned with Bruno’s jealousy.

James Gray receives the Leon Cakoff Prize at this 50th Mostra.