1 Sparrow Song 01:30 2 Voice Of America (Part 3) Legs 04:26 3 Selluloid Restaurant The Old Man Puts Out The Fire 03:12 4 After Dinner 01:49 5 Houston St 02:56 6 Drum Factory 02:04 7 Regardless Of Rain 03:07 8 Candy Machine 03:02 9 Romanisches Cafe 06:22 10 The Border 03:31 11 Nirvana Again 01:55 12 Scottish Roppongi 01:49 13 Norrgerden Nyvla 02:58 14 Birds 02:21 15 The As Usual Dance Towards The Other Flight To What Is Not (Part 3) 01:50 16 Williamsburg Bridge 01:55 17 Same Old Me Williamsburg Bridge (Reprise) 04:14 18 The As Usual Dance Etc (Part 5) 02:28 19 Lost And Found 03:20 20 Nine By Nine 05:54 21 Evolution 03:22 22 Union Square 01:43 23 Morning Song 02:03 24 Voice Of America (Part 4) 02:05 25 Too Late 02:25
Musicians
Musicians appearing in the film include:
Fred Frith René Lussier Jean Derome Kevin Norton Bob Ostertag Haco Iva Bittová Pavel Fajt Tom Cora Tim Hodgkinson John Zorn Eitetsu Hayashi Joey Baron Cyro Baptista Arto Lindsay Step Across the Border is a 1990 avant-garde documentary film on English guitarist, composer and improviser Fred Frith...
Shot in black and white, the 35mm documentary was filmed between 1988 and 1990 in Japan, Italy, France, Germany, England, the United States and Switzerland, and shows Frith rehearsing, performing, giving interviews and relaxing. Other musicians featured include René Lussier, Iva Bittová, Tom Cora, Tim Hodgkinson, Bob Ostertag and John Zorn.
The film won "Best Documentary" at the European Film Awards in 1990. A companion "soundtrack" album, Step Across the Border was also released by RecRec Music in 1990.
The film is not narrated, and the musicians, the music and the locations are not identified. Instead it is a sequence of snapshots taken of Frith and musicians he has worked with, rehearsing and performing, interspersed with apparent random images of movement (trains, cars, people, grass) that blend in with the music. The improvised nature of the film and its direct cinema approach make it more of an art film than simply a documentary on a musician.
The music in the film is performed by Frith on his own, with others, and by others on their own. Some of the music is improvised, some is composed material performed "live", and some is previously recorded material played as accompaniment to many of the "movement" sequences in the film.
The recording of the film coincided with the formation and activity of Frith's review band Keep the Dog (1989–1991), and many of the participants of the band appear in the film. There are even a few rare glimpses of the band rehearsing. René Lussier in particular, features prominently and "interviews" Frith about his musical upbringing and approach to music.