Katya Ustinova

In the Soviet Union, shtetls were once home to the largest Jewish population in the world. Only a few survived the Holocaust, and those that did were all located in the territory of the modern Ukraine and Moldova. In those small and remote towns, hidden from the world outside of the Iron Curtain, traditional Jewish life continued for decades after it disappeared everywhere else. The tight-knit communities supported themselves by providing goods and services to their non-Jewish neighbors. The ancient religion, Yiddish language and folklore, ritualized cooking and elaborate craftsmanship were practiced, treasured and passed through the generations until very recently.

Artdocfest

Rhode Island Int'l. Film Festival

Miami Jewish Film Festival

Toronto Jewish Film Festival

New York Jewish Film Festival

An intriguing new documentary by Katya Ustinova, Shtetlers, paints a picture of what life was like in these forgotten Jewish towns, as told through the eyes of nine people who lived in them. The film ... explores a history that is both revelatory and tragic. Ultimately, Ustinova shows that shtetls were a place of deep culture and of “neighborship,” as she called it.

Maddy Albert

Ustinova’s film, with its candid narrators, possessed of deep feelings and strong memories, is ... a worthy contribution.

Mikhl Yashinsky

[A]n impressive debut that clearly knows what it’s going for and delivers it too. A history lesson with humanity at its heart, Shtetlers acknowledges the importance of–and gives voice to–a whole Jewish way of life lost to time.