Vanished World Series: SHTTL

TICKETS Astonishing on many levels, this black-and-white, Yiddish-language feature film is set in a shtetl on the Ukrainian/Polish border 24 hours before the brutal German invasion of the Soviet Union. This haunting, evocative drama richly details the intrigues of everyday life in a robust community poised on the brink of destruction.
First-time director Ady Walter shot on location in Ukraine and gathered a remarkable international cast, including Yiddish-fluent actor Saul Rubinek. The film location has become a permanent open air museum.

About the Vanished World Series:
This four-film series takes us back in time to a world violently wiped from existence by the Holocaust. Much of what we know about Jewish life in Eastern Europe in the early 20th century stems from Fiddler on the Roof and the astounding images captured by Roman Vishniac, whose life and work is examined by director Laura Bialis in “Vishniac.” The remarkable Yiddish language drama “Shttl” vividly recreates daily life on the Polish border on the eve of its destruction. Our Centerpiece presentation, the silent film “The Man Without a World” – featuring live musical accompaniment by violinist Alicia Svigals – also depicts the intricacies of life in the hundreds of small villages where Jews lived a humble but rich communal existence. The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground” offers an understanding of Klezmer music, which played a vital role in shtetl life. Taken together, these four films provide a glimpse into the vanished world of Eastern European Jewry.