"Sholem Aleichem: An American Perspective" by Joseph Dorman Filmmaker
"The movie’s old photographs conjure the look and vitality of shtetl life so vividly you can almost feel yourself jostled in the crowded and dusty streets, hear the cries of peddlers and smell the pungent aromas of the cooking. The gnarly faces and hunched bodies of Jewish peasants, many dressed in rags, attest to decades of pain, hardship and stubborn endurance."
(from a review in the New York Times by Stephen Holden 7/11/2011)
Join us to meet Joseph Dorman, the director of this acclaimed documentary on Sholem Aleichem, an important Yiddish writer who emigrated from Ukraine to New York City. Americans are perhaps most acquainted with Aleichem as the famous Broadway musical, Fiddler on the Roof, was based on Aleichem's short stories.
Dorman graduated from Brown University and his first film, Arguing the World, received great reviews. His latest work on Sholem Aleichem is lauded for its historical footage and includes interviews with Aleichem's granddaughter. He will discuss his work, impressions of Aleichem and influence on both American and world literature, and answer your questions!