Screening room
Some of the most influential photography ever shot is out of copyright, which means you can watch it right here, in full, for free. Pick a film, read what its cinematographer was inventing, and watch with a question in mind. Every title below is in the public domain in the United States, and each card says exactly why.
THE FINE PRINTWhy these are free
Copyright expires. Films published in the United States before 1930 have run out their term, and a number of later films lost protection because a notice was omitted or a renewal was never filed. Those films now belong to everyone: you can watch them, study them, screen them, and cut them up for practice without asking anyone. Each card above names the specific reason its film is free.
Two caveats worth knowing. Public-domain status is national, so a film free in the United States may still be protected where you live. And a specific restoration or new score can carry its own fresh copyright even when the underlying film does not. The videos here stream from YouTube and remain subject to whatever the uploader and YouTube agree; if a video disappears, that is why. For everything still in copyright, the watchlist points you at legitimate places to rent or stream.