Borderline (1930)

Set in a small village (most likely in Switzerland), the town is scandalized by the affair of a white man (Gavin Arthur) and a black woman (Eslanda Robeson). While the woman's husband (Paul Robeson) forgives her and attempts a reconciliation, the man's wife (Helga Doom) becomes hysterical and sets up a confrontation that will prove tragic. Shot and directed by Kenneth MacPherson. Wow! A most unusual piece of avant garde cinema! Not only because of the interracial affair (this film could never have been made in 1930 Hollywood) but its openly lesbian characters. I'm not familiar with director MacPherson, who was instrumental in the avant garde scene during the 1920s and 1930s. Outside of the legendary Paul Robeson, the actors consist of non professionals like Gavin Arthur (who was a bisexual sexologist), Helga Doom (who was a poetess) and Robeson's wife Eslanda, who was an anthropologist and his business manager. The film's rapid editing technique (influenced by Eisenstein) was ahead of its time. It's a silent film that uses close ups and imagery to tell its story rather than intertitles. The negativity from critics caused MacPherson to stop directing. It's the kind of film that's fascinating to watch for its technical achievement more than its narrative.