Summer of Sam

IN 1936 Samuel Beckett, arguably Ireland's greatest playwright, wrote to Sergei Eisenstein, arguably Russia's greatest film maker, to ask if he could train with the Moscow State Institute of Cinematography. This unlikely alliance came to nothing, but Beckett's interest in film persisted, notably in his collaboration with Buster Keaton on “Film” (Keaton's last silent movie). Radio and television plays such as “All that Fall” and “Eh Joe” show that Beckett was keen to explore different dramatic media. Nevertheless, he declined many offers to make films from his plays, including requests from such eminent directors as Ingmar Bergman.