Reviewed by Paul Goupille

On the 26th October, Sydney will welcome for one month the Jewish International Film Festival, an occasion to discover the best of the Jewish cinema. One of the movies that’ll be presented is “Diamant Noir” by Arther Harari, a drama starring Niels Schieder and August Dhiel.

It follows the story of Pier Ulmann, a young Parisian who lives his life through small jobs in the construction field. These jobs compliment his membership with a team of burglers, led by the father figure of Rachid, and his gift of visual memory helps him to commit these crimes.

But Pier’s life change sthe day he receives the new of his father’s death, a man he hasn’t seen for many years. During the funeral, he meets his family of diamond sellers and heirs of the famous diamond cutter Isaac Ulmann. Seeking revenge against those people he thinks have taken everything from his father and destroyed his life, he’ll infiltrate his cousin Gabriel to get closer to him as a way to fulfil his goal.

He enters the family business, against his Uncle’s will at first, and soon learns how to cut diamonds and help his cousin in his work. While doing that, an occasion to take revenge presents itself in the shape of 4 diamonds, and he’ll quickly starts planing to rob them, helped by Rachid.

But the genius of that movie lies in the fact that it goes further than a simple history of robbery and revenge. Where it could have been like all those productions following the plan of a team and how they manage to steal the diamonds, the director concentrates himself on the links Pier will slowly build with his family, and how he’ll soon start to feel affection for them.

Guilt will burn him while he is betraying not only his family, but also new friends, such as Rick, owner of a cutting lab, who will be his mentor and discover Pier’s gift for diamond cutting. Torn between two worlds, on the one hand his biological family who’s slowly integrating him, and on the other hand his former friends waiting for him to rob the diamonds, the young man will lose his mind.

The greatness of Harari’s work lays in the fact that it goes completely against your first impression . At first sight, it might looks like a simple story of vengeance against a family. But the more you go, the more you realise how complex the situation is as Pier gets to know them. The madness enveloping the young man is prefectly played by Schneider, reaching a critical point during a scene with his cousin’s wife.

Of course, we can find fault in the movie. Sometimes the acting isn’t perfect, but the general atmosphere is brilliantly set, and the story is full of unforeseen developments. It’s a movie which will make an impression and sink you into the heartbreaking story of a young man searching for truth and revenge, along a lost journey of self-discovery.

What: Diamant Noir

Where: Jewish International Film Festival

When: Various Times Event Cinemas Bondi Junction

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