The Aporia · Century-old silent film made in New Hampshire found in Japan antique shop

Film student Kohei Okita discovered a 1919 silent comedy called "Van-ar-chy" starring US entertainer Billy B Van in an antique shop in Japan. Made in New Hampshire towns of Newport and Sunapee, the film's rediscovery is significant for preserving early American cinema history and local heritage from 1919. The film will be shown at the Newport Opera House on November 1 along with another rediscovered comedy "Where Are Your Husbands?".

Written by AI on 2026-09-28, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

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A long-lost 1919 American silent comedy film called "Van-ar-chy," starring Billy B. Van, was recently discovered by a Japanese student named Kohei Okita in an antique shop in Japan while he was researching films related to "anarchy." Okita contacted New Hampshire film archivist John Tariot, who confirmed the find and restored the film. "Van-ar-chy," along with another 1919 Van film, “Where Are Your Husbands?” will have its world premiere on Nov. 1 at the Newport Opera House in New Hampshire at 2 p.m., featuring live music performances. This rediscovery is significant as it highlights both international film history and local cultural heritage, considering that around 75% of American silent films from this era are lost forever.

Written for “Lost Silent Film Found” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Lost Silent Film Found

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Long-lost 1919 silent comedy found in dusty antique shop in Japan — it’ll finally be seen again Same event

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A silent comedy filmed in New Hampshire more than a century ago was recently found in Japan, and plans have been set to show the film in early November in the state where it was created.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-28

🔮 A silent comedy filmed in New Hampshire more than a century ago was recently found in Japan, and plans have been set to show the film in early November in the state where it was created.

2026-09-28 · The Guardian

Century-old silent film made in New Hampshire found in Japan antique shop · assertive framing

A silent comedy filmed in New Hampshire more than a century ago was recently found in Japan, and plans have been set to show the film in early November in the state where it was created. asserted

it → film → state

Van-ar-chy, a 1919 film starring US entertainer and film-maker Billy B Van, was rediscovered by Kohei Okita, a film student in Sendai, Japan. asserted

chy → star → Sendai

While researching early cinema related to the word “anarchy”, Okita bought several old film reels at an antique store in Japan and found the comedy starring Van, whom he did not recognize, according to a Van-ar-chy news release. uncertain

he → research → release

Internet searching then connected Okita with John Tariot, a Van archivist. asserted

searching → connect → Tariot

Tariot identified the comedy as Van-ar-chy, one of Van’s films made in New Hampshire in the communities of Newport and Sunapee. asserted

Tariot → identify → Newport

Van, who lived from 1870 to 1950, began his career performing on Broadway and in vaudeville before turning to film-making. asserted

who → live → making

He later founded the Equity Motion Picture Company and opened a studio in Georges Mills, New Hampshire, where he produced silent comedies filmed around the Lake Sunapee area. asserted

he → found → area

The news release about Van-ar-chy highlighted the importance of Okita’s discovery, saying: “Its survival is significant on two fronts. asserted

survival → highlight → fronts

Van-ar-chy preserves the work of a little-known early American film company at a time when much of silent cinema has been lost. asserted

much → preserve → cinema

But it is also a piece of local history captured in motion: its scenes preserve glimpses of the streets, landscapes, buildings, and people of Newport and Sunapee in 1919.” asserted

scenes → capture → 1919

The film was scheduled to be shown on 1 November at the Newport Opera House as part of a program organized by the historical societies of there and Sunapee. asserted

film → schedule → there

Plans also called for the program to include Where Are Your Husbands? – another Van comedy that was rediscovered in 2017 in the collections of the Library of Congress. asserted

that → call → Congress

“We aren’t just seeing where Billy B Van made movies,” Tariot said in a statement in the news release. asserted

Tariot → see → release

“We’re seeing the world in which he made them. asserted

he → see → them

“Two films have now turned up in places no one expected to find them,” he continued. asserted

he → turn → them

The search goes on.” asserted

search → go → ?

Century-old silent film made in New Hampshire found in Japan antique shop

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