Public Domain
Nanook of the North
1922 · Revillon Frères · Dir. Robert Flaherty
This pioneering documentary film depicts the lives of the indigenous Inuit people of Canada's northern Quebec region. Although the production contains some fictional elements, it vividly shows how its resourceful subjects survive in such a harsh climate, revealing how they construct their igloo homes and find food by hunting and fishing. The film also captures the beautiful, if unforgiving, frozen landscape of the Great White North, far removed from conventional civilization.
Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —
Why this status applies
Nanook of the North was originally released in the United States on June 11, 1922, by Pathé Exchange. Under the current United States copyright law (17 U.S.C. § 304), all works published before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain regardless of whether their copyright was ever renewed.
Since this film was published in 1922, its maximum possible term of protection (95 years) expired at the end of 2017. As of January 1, 2019, all remaining works from 1923 and earlier are definitively in the public domain in the U.S. This status is widely recognized by the Library of Congress and the National Film Registry, which inducted the film in 1989.
— Cited Sources —
Supporting facts
Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.