The Cossack Whip

(John H. Collins, US 1916, 61 min., 35mm)

The restoration of The Cossack Whip was a daunting challenge. As early as the late 1980s, Ed Stratmann had been searching archives around the world to complement the materials held at the museum. Over the course of a decade, he pieced together footage from a 16mm print from the Library of Congress, a British-release tinted nitrate print, and a Canadian-release nitrate print to complete the project. The result is the most complete version of the film seen in nearly a hundred years. Viola Dana stars as Darya, a prima ballerina returning to Russia. As a young girl, she saw her sister whipped to death during a raid organized by Turov, chief of the czar’s secret police. When Turov falls in love with her upon her return, Darya sees a chance for revenge.

Live piano accompaniment by Dr. Philip C. Carli.