Whirlpool of Fate

The film 'Whirlpool of Fate' (originally 'La Fille de l'eau') is a French production directed by Jean Renoir. It was released in France in 1925 and subsequently in the United States. Under current US copyright law (17 USC § 104A), any work published before January 1, 1928, is definitively in the public domain in the United States, regardless of its country of origin or renewal status. While foreign works produced after 1928 may have had their copyrights restored via the URAA (Uruguay Round Agreements Act), this restoration does not apply to works that were already in the public domain in the US due to the expiration of the statutory term for pre-1928 works. As a 1925 release, the film entered the US public domain no later than 1953 (the end of the first 28-year term) if not renewed, or in 2021 (at the very latest under the 95-year rule); however, the 1928 cutoff is the absolute ceiling for all works. Therefore, it is public domain. Note: generated without live web grounding (the grounded research engine was unavailable). Verify the cited sources independently before relying on this determination.