LAJFF Previews New ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Documentary

From Sholem Aleichem’s shtetl tales to Broadway to the movies, the iconic characters and stories in “Fiddler on the Roof” have captivated audiences—Jewish and not—all over the world. The subject of the 2019 making-of film “Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles,” it gets a new documentary treatment in “Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen: The Untold Story of Norman Jewison’s Fiddler on the Roof,” chronicling the producer-director’s quest to bring Tevye’s world to the big screen nearly 50 years ago.

Including revealing interviews with Jewison (not Jewish, by the way), his collaborators, lead actor Topol, critics and historians and chock full of surprising anecdotes about the production, the film is a must-see for “Fiddler” fans.

On Dec. 25 at 1 p.m. PST, the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival will host a free virtual Q&A with its director Daniel Raim, writer Michael Sragow, and producer Sasha Berman, who will give attendees a 16-minute preview excerpt of their work-in-progress film. (Projected release: fall 2021.) Attendees are encouraged to watch “Fiddler on the Roof” on Netflix beforehand and download the lyrics here to sing along: https://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/fiddler_on_the_roof_soundtrack

Visit www.LAJFilmFest.org to register and www.FiddlerDoc.com for more about the film.

From Jan. 1-3, LAJFF keeps the musical theme going by hosting the Los Angeles virtual premiere of “Stand!” a Romeo and Juliet love story between a Jewish suffragette and a Ukrainian immigrant set against the backdrop of a citywide workers’ strike in Winnipeg, Canada in 1919. It’s adapted from the stage hit “Strike!” by writer/composer Danny Schur, who based it on his own family history.

Tickets are $12 and include a free Zoom Q&A on Jan. 3 at 11 a.m. PST with Schur, director Robert Adetuyi, and cast members Gregg Henry, Laura Slade Wiggin, and Lisa Bell, among others. Registration info will be posted at LAJFilmFest.org, and further information about the film can be found at https://stand-movie.com.