New Yiddish movie 'Shttl' is a cinematic triumph that rebuilds a lost Jewish world: review
Ady Walter may be one of the most daring Jewish directors of recent times. His new film, Shttl, is an impressive achievement by all standards. Filmed in 2021 in Ukraine during the peak of COVID-19 restrictions and under the looming threat of Russian invasion, the movie was shot entirely in black and white, in Yiddish, and designed to appear as a single continuous take.
To create this effect, Walter constructed a life-sized replica of a shtetl from scratch, including houses, a synagogue, and winding dirt roads. He cast Moshe Lobel, a newcomer who had never starred in a feature film before, as the protagonist.
“The story of the film was a Jewish ‘Apocalypse Now,’” Walter told Unpacked. “This was a crazy adventure in wild conditions. We even shot in swamps with mosquitoes in Ukraine. With Moshe, I never met him before he came, but we had conversations over the phone where I could trust he was right for it.”
Walter was firm that Shttl could only be told in Yiddish, despite knowing this might limit the film's commercial appeal. “I don’t come from a Yiddish-speaking family,” he said, “but not doing it in Yiddish wasn’t an option. I wanted to make a film where people spoke Yiddish because it was their language at the time.”
Filming Challenges and Authenticity
- Shot during COVID-19 restrictions and amid geopolitical tension
- Used a single continuous take style
- Built a detailed shtetl replica for realism
- Cast a first-time lead actor for authenticity
Walter’s commitment to authenticity and unique filming techniques make Shttl a notable cinematic tribute to a vanished Jewish world.
Author’s summary: Shttl is a bold, authentic Yiddish film crafted under extreme conditions that vividly resurrects the lost world of Jewish shtetls with unparalleled realism.