ANDERS ALS DIE ANDERN (1919)
dir. Richard Oswald
Paul Korner is a homosexual musician who falls in love with his protégé Kurt. Unfortunately, the two are seen walking hand in hand by the blackmailer Franz. Though Paul agrees to Franz’s demands at first, it gets out of hand and he ends up refusing to pay, resulting in dire consequences for the lovers. This film was intended as a polemic against the then-current laws under Germany’s Paragraph 175, and it is believed to be the first pro-gay film in the world.
(link in title)