Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness

  • 2011
  • Unrated
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
180
YOUR RATING
Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011)
A portrait of the writer whose stories became the basis of the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof.
Play trailer2:21
1 Video
6 Photos
Documentary

A riveting portrait of the great writer whose stories became the basis of the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness tells the tale of the rebellious... Read allA riveting portrait of the great writer whose stories became the basis of the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness tells the tale of the rebellious genius who created an entirely new literature. Plumbing the depths of a Jewish world lock... Read allA riveting portrait of the great writer whose stories became the basis of the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness tells the tale of the rebellious genius who created an entirely new literature. Plumbing the depths of a Jewish world locked in crisis and on the cusp of profound change, he captured that world with brilliant hum... Read all

  • Director
    • Joseph Dorman
  • Writer
    • Joseph Dorman
  • Stars
    • Rachel Dratch
    • Hillel Halkin
    • Jason Kravits
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    180
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Joseph Dorman
    • Writer
      • Joseph Dorman
    • Stars
      • Rachel Dratch
      • Hillel Halkin
      • Jason Kravits
    • 5User reviews
    • 31Critic reviews
    • 77Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness
    Trailer 2:21
    Watch Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness

    Photos6

    Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011)
    Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011)
    Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011)
    Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011)
    Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Rachel Dratch
    Rachel Dratch
    • Shayne Sheyndl
    • (voice)
    Hillel Halkin
    • Self
    Jason Kravits
    Jason Kravits
    • Menachem Mendl
    Dan Miron
    • Self
    Peter Riegert
    Peter Riegert
    • Tevye
    Alan Rosenberg
    Alan Rosenberg
    • Narrator
    David Roskies
    • Self
    Ruth Wisse
    • Self
    • Director
      • Joseph Dorman
    • Writer
      • Joseph Dorman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    User reviews5

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    This should have been designed for a wider audience but was still a very well made film.
    This biography and discussion of the work of Sholom Aleichem is very well made. However, you can tell that the filmmaker assumed that only Jewish people would want to watch the documentary, as MANY of the folks being interviewed talk about Jewish traditions or use Yiddish words that a non-Jewish audience would very possibly not understand. I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood and so I know about sitting shiva, shabbat and words like goyim and shtetl. But it seemed very strange that the film did not explain these things (and much more). In fact, there are probably many Jewish people who have lost contact with their Jewishness who don't understand everything these experts say. It's a shame, as Gentile audiences would benefit from learning about Sholem Aleichem as well--especially since "Fiddler on the Roof" (made up of various stories by Aleichem and starring his character 'Tevya') was a hugely popular film embraced by a wide audience, not just Jews. It's really a shame, as the documentary was otherwise exceptionally well made and interesting. Because of this, I give it a qualified recommendation.
    helpful•3
    2
    • planktonrules
    • Mar 21, 2013

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 8, 2011 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $906,666
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $20,247
      • Jul 10, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $906,666
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011)
    Top Gap
    What is the English language plot outline for Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.