Souls Aflame

In a Swiss winter resort, Lydia Boysen, who has just divorced from her husband, meets the young ski instructor Dagfin Holberg. It doesn't take long before they both fall in love with each other. One day her ex-husband Axel shows up, not long after he had tried to set Lydia up with the much older, rich Turkish man Sabi Bey. A little later, Alex Boysen is found lying dead in the snow. Dagfin and Lydia suspect each other of killing Boysen. To protect Lydia, Dagfin takes all the blame. Not entirely unselfish, he receives full support in his actions from Sabi Bey, who also promises to help Dagfin escape. The Turkish general hopes to get closer to his goal in this way and finally win Lydia over. Lydia, in turn, is ready to sacrifice herself for Dagfin. In order to be sure of Sabi Bey's support for the fugitive Dagfin, she follows the Muslim despot, who was once responsible for a massacre of Armenians and only narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, to his castle in southern Germany.

Directed by Joe May, Souls Aflame leans on a strong ensemble — Paul Richter, Marcella Albani, Paul Wegener — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1926.