The Auteur's Selection In the Shadow of The Heart of a Child: Cult Guide

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One of the few surviving works of African silent cinema. Adventures and sentimental melodrama with an interesting framework of race relations and culture shock. Also starring local personalities such as Chief Kentani and Prince Yumi.

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John Briggs, an Englishman employed as a chauffeur to a member of the Russian nobility, is forced to escape Russia during the Bolshevik revolution. He comes across the dead body of a Russian officer identified as Alexis Triona and finds a diary on the body that details his exciting adventures among the Bolsheviks. Upon his return to England, Briggs continues to work as a chauffeur while trying to become a writer, but his manuscripts are met with rejections from every publisher. He decides to use some of the stories he found in Triona's diary. This time publishers are much more receptive, and "his" stories become best-sellers. To keep up the charade, he passes himself off as the real Triona. Complications ensue.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of A Fool's Awakening perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

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A private wins a sweepstakes and a VC, lets his girl wed his friend, and saves him from the cardsharp who killed his father.

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John Hampstead gives up his career as an actor and his actress sweetheart, Marian Dounay, to become a minister in a western town. Marian appears, and failing to win him back, she tries to ruin his reputation. Hampstead is accused of stealing some jewelry, thought he is actually protecting the scapegrace brother of his current sweetheart Bessie. He's about to give up his church at the request of his congregation when the brother comes forward to confess.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Brother Officers perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

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A blacksmith's adopted son is accused of killing his cardsharping brother.

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A hypnotist makes an artist's model sing, but cannot force her love.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Held to Answer perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

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A maid plots to wed her mistress to a poor Irishman instead of a rich Lord.

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This feature film from 1916 tells the story of South Africa's Boer pioneers in their epic trek across southern Africa in search of new land. It concentrates on the struggle against Zulu inhabitants, which the Boers eventually won at the Battle of Blood River in 1938.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The House of Temperley perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

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Thrifty orphan Norah MacPherson meets wealthy young James Patterson, who gets her a job as a chorus girl. They fall in love. To put up a good front, she spends all her money on clothes. Patterson doubts her when he sees her wearing a string of fake pearls; he then finds that she hasn't been unfaithful, and they reconcile.

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A sacked clerk inherits £3,000 a year, tries society, and returns to his working-class sweetheart.