Damaged Goods

Out of Africa

December 1985 •English

Tells the life story of Danish author Karen Blixen, who at the beginning of the 20th century moved to Africa to build a new life for herself. The film is based on her 1937 autobiographical novel.

The Libertine

September 2004 •English

The story of John Wilmot, a.k.a. the Earl of Rochester, a 17th century poet who famously drank and debauched his way to an early grave, only to earn posthumous critical acclaim for his life's work.

Kids

July 1995 •English

A day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around New York City skating, drinking, smoking and deflowering virgins.

Love on Leave

November 1940 •English

George and Katherine plan to marry but war breaks out. When he returns on two weeks leave, but has his marriage proposal put down by Katherine, George enters a relationship with another woman.

Scratch That

June 2023 •Hebrew

Since his boyfriend left him, Yotam hasn’t slept alone. He developed an obsession for dating apps and spends his nights in the arms of strangers. One day, he discovers he’s been infected with an insufferable skin disease and realizes he’s got no choice but to stop his way of living for a while. His journey into the midst of his first night alone will find him and his obsession in very dark and itchy places.

USS VD: Ship of Shame

January 1942 •English

This film was made by the U.S. government during World War II to show its young servicemen the results of "fooling around" with "loose women" overseas. Actual victims of such sexually transmitted diseases as syphilis and gonorrhoea are shown, along with the physical deterioration that accompanies those diseases.

Sour Honey

June 2021 •English

Jade and Effy exist in a paradox of determination to achieve authenticity while living a hedonistic lifestyle. In their time of desperation for money, they battle the male gaze, their own vices, and the relentless buzz of mass media.

Of the World's Horrors

January 1920 •Romanian

A wife and her husband have both contracted syphilis and don't know how to tell each other.

No Greater Sin

August 1941 •English

The dangers of the dread venereal disease syphilis are depicted in this earnest drama from the 1940s. The story centers upon an intrepid health commissioner who is out to get rid of the tawdry hookers responsible for spreading the disease.

Open Your Eyes

May 1919 •English

A propagandistic melodrama recounting the dangers and horrors of venereal disease.

Defect in the Womb

January 1977 •Indonesian

Andy lives recklessly. He decides to go straight after meeting, falling in love with and impregnating Maria. Unfortunately, his freewheeling ways have led to him transmitting an STD to her that causes their baby to die. The two then go through therapy to learn more about sex education.

Sex Madness

April 1938 •English

A young beauty queen travels to New York to further her modelling career, but contracts syphilis after being tricked into a sexual encounter. She is torn between the prospect of a slow, intensive but proven therapy and a supposed miracle cure.

She's Too Young

February 2004 •English

A mother/daughter relationship is thrown off balance when the mother discovers that her "good girl" daughter is part of a group who are engaging in sexual activities with multiple partners that results in an outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases.

The Quiet Duel

March 1949 •Japanese

A young idealistic doctor works at his father's clinic in a small and seedy district. During the war, he contracts syphilis from the blood of a patient when he cuts himself during an operation. Treating himself in secret and tormented by his conscience, he rejects his heartbroken fiancée without explanation.

Synden Lockar

December 1946 •Finnish

V.D.

January 1961 •English

A high school track star's wedding plans are capsized by venereal disease and a bad, beautiful new girl in town. His coach and a physician steer him into the light again.

Mom and Dad

January 1945 •English

A teenage girl from a traditional family goes on a date with a pilot and ends up having sex with him. After the pilot dies in a plane crash, the girl discovers she is pregnant with his child. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.

The Escape

June 1914 •English

A dramatic comparison between the mating habits of animals and the way humans choose their own partners. The film is now considered to be a lost film.

That Burning Feeling

May 2014 •English

Venereal disease forces a confirmed bachelor to take stock of his history of one night stands.

The People at No. 19

November 1949 •English

Reported cases of sexually transmitted disease took a sharp rise during and after World War II, but as this film testifies, sexual license amongst soldiers on the frontline wasn't the sole cause. Back on the home front, for many women, like Joan from No. 19, loneliness or newfound independence acted as an incentive to extramarital promiscuity.