This edition: Diamonds of the Night
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Original tape date: December 8, 1986. First aired: December 8, 1986.Diamonds of the Night (1964/Czechoslovakia; 63 min., b&w, sound); Dir. Jan Němec. Cast: Ladislav Jánský, Antonín Kumbera. Adapted from a novel by Arnošt Lustig, Diamonds of the Night tracks two boys who flee from a concentration-camp transport into the woods, hostile terrain where the realities of survival coexist with dreams, memories, and visual poetry (Criterion).
On this episode of Cinema Then, Cinema Now, Professor Jerry Carlson (College of Staten Island) sits down with author and professor Arnošt Lustig (American University; Author, Darkness Casts No Shadow) and Professor Leonard Quart (College of Staten Island; Author, American Film and Society Since 1945) to discuss Diamonds of the Night.
Other topics of discussion include:
Arnošt Lustig's process in writing the novel
The influences of director Jan Němec
The film's censorship
Arnošt Lustig's experience in WWII
Recorded on December 8th, 1986 at the Borough of Manhattan Community College Media Center.
This program was digitized, captioned, and made accessible in 2021 as part of "Uncovering CUNY'S Audiovisual Heritage," a preservation project funded by Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).
Guest List
Prof. Jerry Carlson Professor of Film Studies, City College of New York
Arnošt Lustig Author and professor, American University; Author, Darkness Casts No Shadow
Leonard Quart Professor, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Associate editor of Cineaste
