Whoever You Are: NYC 1939

This 1939 silent film, Whoever You Are, shot in poor-quality black-and-white 16mm, probes racial and religious prejudice in late 1930s-early 1940s New York City. Vandalized signs bear slurs like “Niggers” and “Jew,” while KKK klansmen with skull-adorned hoods salute “Heil Hitler.” Hitler Youth and Nazi soldiers contrast with surrendering troops and fleeing civilians. Newspaper headlines decry anti-Semitic violence and racism, from the PM and NY Post. Scenes of kids fighting, mixed-race playdates, and basketball games hint at resistance in a pre-war urban crucible of hate and hope.