The Mistress of the World

The Mistress of the World German Die Herrin der Welt is an eightpart 1919 silent film made in the Weimar Republic starring Mia May in the lead role. The film, under the creative control of director Joe May, is noted for bringing together talent from across German cinema, including many who would work behind the camera during the emergence of German Expressionist cinema.

Young Danish adventuress Maud Gregaards Mia May answers an advertisement to take up a position as a governess in China. There, she falls victim to the white slavetrade and is placed in a brothel. She is freed by her travel companion, Dr. KienLung Henry Sze, but the physician is then kidnapped by the devilish HaiFung, who also captures and tortures Maud. Chinese consul Madsen Michael Bohnen releases both Dr. KeinLung and Maud from the clutches of HaiFung. It is later revealed that Maud is harbouring a secret plot of revenge that brought her to China. Maud decides to tell her two trusted companions what that secret is.The second part of this film is a prequel to the first part. Maud explains to her companions why she travelled to China. Mauds father was an archivist at the Foreign Office in Denmark. There he was blackmailed to hand over a Chinese secret agreement. Unable either to face the blackmailers or to betray his country, he commits suicide. Maud later falls in love with Baron Murphy Hans Mierendorff for whom she works as a translator, and they become engaged. Unknowingly, Maud translates the Chinese document for the Baron, after which he takes the secret and flees the country, leaving Maud to be arrested as a spy. In jail, Maud gives birth to the Barons child but the baby dies in prison. On being released from jail, Maud comes into the possession of information about the rabbi of KuanFu, who is said to have knowledge of the hidden treasure of the Queen of Sheba. She decides to travel to China to find the treasure which she hopes will allow her to take revenge on her former lover. ........

Source: Wikipedia