SHOLEM ALEICHEM: LAUGHING IN THE DARKNESS

19th Portland Jewish Film Festival

SHOLEM ALEICHEM: LAUGHING IN THE DARKNESS
DIRECTOR: JOSEPH DORMAN
US, 2011

“Dorman’s new film is a moving portrait of the great Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916), the man whose stories became the basis of the musical ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ Using the author’s works and his own life story, the documentary presents a riveting tale of a traditional Jewish world on the cusp of profound change. Ultimately, LAUGHING IN THE DARKNESS reveals Sholem Aleichem’s genius in capturing this world—its darkness, its disorientation—with brilliant humor as he explored the struggle to create a new modern Jewish identity.”—New York Jewish Film Festival. (93 mins.)

Sponsored by Cedar Sinai Park.