A selection made in the 1990s, by David Meeker, archivist for the British Film Insititute, up to 1981. The selection was strong on France, UK, US, and he likes Ford and Hawks. But it’s weak on Africa, Latin America, many neglected countries, films by women, and the avant-garde. Still, the list pointed me towards 1930s Chinese classics and i hope it’s of interest
1914 Cabiria (Pastrone)
1915 The Birth Of A Nation (Griffith)
The Cheat (De Mille)
The Vampires (Feuillade)
1916 Intolerance (Griffith)
Judex (Feuillade)
1918 J’Accuse (Gance)
Tih Minh (Feuillade)
1919...