简介：Ofalltheremarkableeventsofthiscenturyperhapsthemostfascinatinghasbeenthespontaneousgrowth,floweringandthendecayofahandfulofgreatcities.Thesecitieswereplaceswhereart,cultureandpoliticallibertiesco-mingledwithcorruption,brutalityanddecadence.Everythingandjustaboutanyonecouldbeboughtandsold.Theimmigrantwouldstrugglebesidetheartist.Gamblers,thievesandprostitutesco-habitedwithsoul-savers,therichandthepowerful.Theexhilaratingcombinationoftheseamywiththesublimemadetheseplacesamagnetforallthelostsoulsandrefugeesoftheworld.Pushingthelimitsoftoleranceandfreedom,theydefinedthesocial,politicalandsexualcultureofthe20thcentury.Theirnamesringout:Parisofthe'20s,Berlinofthe'20sand'30sandShanghaiofthe'30s.Intheperiodbetweenthewars,theseweretheLEGENDARYSINCITIESoftheworld.Contemporaryfootagemixedwithrareandrichlyevocativearchivalfilms,stockshotsandstillsgiveresonancetothestoriesofanextraordinarycastofcharacters:novelistsandartists,musiciansandjournalists,roguesandsinners.Addedtothemixareexcerptsfromfeaturefilms,marriedwiththemusicofthoseremarkabletimes.Whatresultsisarichlydrawnportraitofatimeandplacethathelpeddefineourcentury…