INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: SHTTL

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According to Wikipedia, a shtetl is the Yiddish term for the small towns across Eastern Europe where many Ashkenazi Jewish communities lived before the Holocaust.

But for those of us born after the Shoah, the word carries something almost mystical. It evokes the floating villages of Marc Chagall’s paintings and the rich storytelling of Isaac Bashevis Singer—a world that feels both vivid and distant.

In his film SHTTL, director Ady Walter takes us back to one of those villages. But instead of presenting a nostalgic or quaint portrait of shtetl life, Walter reveals something far more complex: a vibrant community filled with debates over religion, politics, gender roles, economics, and identity.

In other words, a world that feels surprisingly familiar.

The film has clearly resonated with audiences. SHTTL recently became the longest-running film at New York’s New Plaza Cinema, playing continuously for more than 20 weeks.

To explore the film from multiple angles, we took a slightly different approach for this episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE. Rather than a single conversation, we recorded three separate sessions with key members of the film’s creative team.

We first connected with director Ady Walter at his home in Paris, where he spoke about the challenges of recreating a lost world and bringing Yiddish culture and pre-war Jewish life to the screen.

We also spoke with Saul Rubinek, the celebrated actor and filmmaker who grew up speaking Yiddish in Montreal and brings a deeply personal connection to the material.

Finally, we sat down in person with Moshe Lobel, the film’s star. Lobel is also a Yiddish speaker, but with a particularly powerful relationship to the language and the cultural traditions depicted in the film.

There is a great deal happening beneath the surface of SHTTL, and it quickly became clear that hearing from all three voices—the director and two actors—would offer a richer understanding of the story the film tells.

We hope you enjoy this three-part conversation with filmmaker Ady Walter and actors Moshe Lobel and Saul Rubinek, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE.

 

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: CHARLIEBIRD

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Action.

It’s the word we most often associate with movies — big spectacle, big movement, big moments.

But some of the most powerful films move differently. Not through explosions or chase scenes, but through emotional tension. Through interior conflict. Through the quiet shifts that change a life.

CHARLIEBIRD is one of those films.

Winner of the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival — and the recipient of the festival’s Best Performance award — CHARLIEBIRDannounces a striking new voice in American independent cinema.

In her feature directorial debut, Libby Ewing crafts an intimate, deeply human character drama from a screenplay by Samantha Smart, who also stars in the film. Set within a pediatric hospital ward, the story follows the evolving relationship between a music therapist and her teenage patient — two souls navigating grief, uncertainty, and the fragile work of healing.

That teenage patient, portrayed by newcomer Gabriela Ochoa Perez, delivers a breakout performance — raw, grounded, and unforgettable — earning her Tribeca’s top acting honor.

In this episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, we sit down with Libby Ewing to talk about bringing this quiet, powerful story from script to screen — and what it means for an intimate indie film to break through on one of cinema’s biggest festival stages.

Our conversation about CHARLIEBIRD starts now.

Inside the Arthouse: Rendez-Vous with French Cinema

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What’s happening in French cinema right now?

For more than three decades, Film at Lincoln Center’s Rendez-Vous With French Cinema has served as the premier U.S. launchpad for new French films — often signaling which titles will break into the American market. Now in its 31st edition, this year’s program brings 22 features to the Walter Reade Theater from March 5–15, with many filmmakers and cast members in attendance.

For distributors, programmers, and serious cinephiles, Rendez-Vous is more than a festival — it’s an early look at the next wave of French filmmaking and a bellwether for potential U.S. acquisitions.

To unpack this year’s lineup, we sat down with Florence Almozini, Vice President of Programming for Film at Lincoln Center. In our conversation, we discuss the state of film production in France, the curatorial lens behind this year’s selections, and which titles may be poised for broader U.S. distribution following their New York premieres.

If you love international cinema, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how French films find their way to American audiences.

Listen now to our conversation with Florence Almozini about Rendez-Vous With French Cinema — on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN

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Did you know that Henry David Thoreau once went to jail for refusing to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican-American War?

There’s a famous story—perhaps a myth—about Ralph Waldo Emerson visiting him in jail and asking, “Henry, why are you here?”

To which Thoreau replied, “Why aren’t you?”

Civil disobedience has always carried that same moral challenge. From Thoreau to Gandhi to Martin Luther King Jr., individuals have wrestled with what to do when their government engages in actions they believe are morally and ethically wrong.

Few, however, have confronted that dilemma with the humor, daring, and sheer audacity of Pavel “Pasha” Talankin—the unlikely hero at the center of the extraordinary documentary MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN.

Winner of a Special Jury Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and now nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature, the film tells the story of Pasha, a school videographer in a small Russian mining town who quietly opposes Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

An open advocate for a more democratic Russia, Pasha does not support the war.

Yet his job suddenly requires him to film classroom lessons promoting state propaganda justifying the invasion.

He is on the verge of resigning.

Then, in a twist worthy of a John le Carré thriller, Pasha connects with Denmark-based filmmaker David Borenstein. Together, they devise a bold plan: use the very footage Pasha is required to submit to authorities as a window into the machinery of propaganda—revealing to the world what Putin’s government is doing from the inside.

The result is surreal. The tone shifts from humor to suspense to genuine danger in an instant. And it makes for one of the year’s most unforgettable films. Join us for our conversation with co-directors David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin, and Executive Producer Robin Hessman 

This episode is part of our Oscar Spotlight Series, featuring in-depth conversations with this year’s Academy Award–nominated Documentary Feature filmmakers. On INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now. 

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT

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“Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.”

That classic show business adage comes to mind when reflecting on the Oscar-nominated documentary COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT.

Directed by Ryan White, the film follows celebrated poet Andrea Gibson after a cancer diagnosis reshapes their daily life. But this is far more than a story about illness. At its core, COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT is a love story — centered on Gibson and their wife, poet Megan Falley — and on the way humor becomes an act of resilience.

Rather than turning away from the gravity of the situation, the couple meets it head-on with comedy, poetry, and profound partnership. The result is an intimate, deeply moving documentary that feels unexpectedly luminous. Given the circumstances it depicts, the film is remarkably light and life-affirming — a testament to the trust Ryan White and his small crew built as they embedded themselves in their subjects’ lives.

Since premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT has earned rave reviews and an outpouring of audience admiration. The film has now been honored with an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

This episode is part of our ongoing INSIDE THE ARTHOUSEOscar Spotlight series, featuring in-depth conversations with each of this year’s Oscar-nominated Documentary Feature filmmakers.

Join us for our conversation with director Ryan White about COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE — starting now.

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR

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Oscar®-nominated director Geeta Gandbhir joins our Academy Award Documentary Spotlight to discuss THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR and the making of this year’s Best Documentary Feature nominee.

“Get off my lawn.”

It’s something many of us heard as kids after wandering onto a neighbor’s property. Back then, it rarely escalated beyond a shouted warning.

But in post-pandemic America, rising social isolation, fear of crime, expanding “stand your ground” laws, and easy access to firearms have created a far more volatile landscape — where minor conflicts can turn tragic.

In her Oscar-nominated documentary THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR, director Geeta Gandbhir examines one such devastating case.

Constructed almost entirely from police body camera footage, THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR unfolds with the tension of a thriller and the inevitability of a tragedy. What begins as a neighborhood dispute reveals deeper issues of race, fear, gun laws, and systemic failure — culminating in a loss that feels both shocking and heartbreakingly predictable.

Nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature, THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR is one of the most urgent and talked-about documentaries of the year.

On this episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, Geeta Gandbhir discusses the ethical responsibility of building a film from police body cam footage, the broader cultural climate that shaped this tragedy, the challenges of documentary filmmaking in an era of viral violence, and what she ultimately hopes audiences take away from the film.

This conversation is part of our ongoing series featuring all of this year’s Oscar-nominated documentary filmmakers.

Join us for our interview with Geeta Gandbhir about THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now.

Inside the Arthouse: Cutting through Rocks

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The phrase “observational documentary” immediately evokes cinéma vérité pioneers like Frederick Wiseman and the Maysles Brothers—filmmakers who defined the art of patient, fly-on-the-wall storytelling.

With their Academy Award–nominated documentary CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS,directors Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni carry that tradition into urgent contemporary territory. It’s a rare recognition for a feature-length observational film—and a powerful reminder that this quiet, rigorous mode of nonfiction filmmaking remains as vital as ever.

As part of our ongoing Oscar Series, featuring conversations with this year’s Best Documentary Feature nominees, we’re proud to spotlight this remarkable film and its filmmakers.

At the center of CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS is Sara Shahverdi, the first Iranian woman elected as a councilmember in her rural village. A motorcycle-riding force of nature, Shahverdi challenges entrenched patriarchy through policy and persistence—advocating for women’s empowerment and encouraging young girls to imagine futures beyond the traditional roles that have historically defined their lives. Charismatic, fearless, and deeply pragmatic, she emerges as both subject and symbol of meaningful civic change.

Beautifully shot and carefully constructed, CUTTING THROUGH ROCKSis this year’s Oscar-nominated documentary about resilience, community leadership, and the transformative power of one determined individual.

Our in-depth conversation with Academy Award nominees Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni is live now on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, as part of our 2026 Academy Awards Documentary Spotlight.

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INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: THE ALABAMA SOLUTION

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After peaking in the early 1990s, U.S. crime rates have steadily declined—today standing at nearly half their peak. Yet incarceration rates have not followed the same trajectory. With roughly 1% of the adult population behind bars, the United States continues to maintain one of the highest incarceration rates in the world.

Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki (Oscar-nominated for Capturing the Friedmans) first became interested in the American carceral system while making that landmark documentary. Years later, teaming up with filmmaker Charlotte Kaufman, he began a multi-year investigation into conditions inside the Alabama state prison system—communicating directly, via video calls, with incarcerated activists.

The result is THE ALABAMA SOLUTION, a searing portrait of prison overcrowding, institutional corruption, and systemic failure. The film examines the collision of “tough on crime” politics, the prison-industrial complex, and a system many argue is violating the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

And yet, like the most powerful prison dramas, the film doesn’t surrender entirely to despair. There are moments of resilience and humanity amid the anger—glimpses of the possibility of rehabilitation, even within a broken structure.

Premiering to strong acclaim at Sundance, THE ALABAMA SOLUTION is now nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards.

Our conversation with Oscar nominees Charlotte Kaufman and Andrew Jarecki begins now on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE.

 

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: STARMAN

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If one were to make the case that the Space Age started in 1957 with the launch of Sputnik, then it follows that someone born in 1942 has arguably spent their entire adult life living in the Space Age.

But if that someone is Gentry Lee, then not only have they been living their entire adult life with space travel as a reality, but they have actually been present and “In the Room” for some of the major milestones in the history of humanity’s efforts to escape the bounds of Earth.

As a scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Gentry was the director of science analysis and mission planning for the Viking mission to Mars, and the Galileo probe to Jupiter- missions that fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the solar system.

But he also found the time to collaborate with Carl Sagan on the landmark PBS series, COSMOS, and then went on to narrate the Discovery Channel program ARE WE ALONE?, which examined the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

And if that isn’t enough, he co-authored four books with legendary science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke.

A Zelig-like character, Gentry Lee has been everywhere and worked with everyone at the intersection of interplanetary science and science fiction, and now he is the subject of Robert Stone’s documentary STARMAN.

The film is both entertaining and educational, which makes sense given that Genty is our guide – leading us through a lifetime of curiosity, imagination, and discovery. And we hope that our discussion with him is just as fun and enlightening.

Our conversation with Gentry Lee, the subject of Robert Stone’s documentary STARMAN, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now. 

INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE: THE LOVE THAT REMAINS

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Like Ingmar Bergman pivoting from the existential weight of THE SEVENTH SEAL to the gentler, more reflective tone of WILD STRAWBERRIES, Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason follows his critically acclaimed 2023 film GODLAND with THE LOVE THAT REMAINS—a film that feels light and airy even as it engages with emotionally serious subject matter.

THE LOVE THAT REMAINS centers on Anna and Maggi the parents of three children, as they navigate an amicable separation and divorce. Anna is an artist struggling with stalled success, while Maggi works aboard a commercial fishing boat, fully aware that long stretches at sea strain family life. Their unhappiness is evident, but Pálmason resists easy explanations. Instead, he presents a couple bound by mutual respect and lingering affection, making the film a striking counterpoint to traditional divorce dramas.

Alongside its intimate emotional focus, the film is a vivid portrait of the Icelandic landscape, with the countryside serving as both setting and emotional texture—beautiful, austere, and deeply expressive.

Defying easy categorization, THE LOVE THAT REMAINS is a quietly radical film about love, separation, and emotional endurance. We hope our conversation with Hlynur Pálmason inspires you to seek out the film when it opens at your local arthouse cinema.

To learn more about THE LOVE THAT REMAINS, watch INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, starting now…