PJFM In Conversation
Ady Walter and Jean-Charles Lévy, Director & Producer of SHTTL
Lindy SpringFest 2023
Dan Bayer, Film Critic for Next Best Picture, interviews Ady Walter and Jean-Charles Lévy, the director and producer of SHTTL, about their positively riveting new drama.
The year is 1941, and although Nazi Germany has yet to take over Soviet Ukraine, there is already chaos and distrust in one particular shtetl. The gossip of a potential Nazi invasion is overshadowed by constant clashing between Hasidic Jews and communist supporters. Mendele, a young, secular Jew disillusioned with his town, adds fire to the flame after returning to the shtetl. The only way for the villagers to make peace is to converse over their disagreements, but the clock is ticking on this fateful day. Unbeknownst to these people, their chance to make amends with their neighbors’ differences may be too late.
Filmed in one continuous shot in breathtaking black-and-white, Ady Walter’s directional debut is one of the most hypnotic, haunting, and positively spellbinding films of the year. A technical achievement on every scale, SHTTL feels like a new movie classic, a new addition to the ever-growing list of cinematic masterpieces.