The Film Comment Podcast: Nathaniel Dorsky and Jerome Hiler on NYC’s Underground Cinema

This week we have a special treat for listeners: a conversation with avant-garde filmmaking legends Nathaniel Dorsky and Jerome Hiler, and programmer and Light Industry co-founder Thomas Beard. Thomas, along with Film at Lincoln Center programmer Dan Sullivan, has curated New York, 1962–1964: Underground and Experimental Cinema, an upcoming series spotlighting the rise of what Jonas Mekas described as the “New American Cinema.” Beginning on July 29, the series takes place in conjunction with related programs at the Jewish Museum and Film Forum.

In a wide-ranging conversation about a pivotal moment in American film history, Dorsky—whose Ingreen (1964) screens as part of the FLC series—and Hiler regaled us with anecdotes about their partnership in life and filmmaking, the state of moviegoing and movie-making in the New York of the ’60s, and the culture-shifting exploits of Jonas Mekas, Gregory J. Markopoulous, Stan Brakhage, Bruce Conner, and others. We also discussed Hiler’s fascinating project about medieval stained glass, “Cinema Before 1300,” and a new book, Illuminated Hours. Nathaniel Dorsky and Jerome Hiler, which was published in Spanish earlier this year and will be available soon in English.