When does Cinema with Guests: SHTTL take place?

On 22.05.2026 from 18:00 to 20:00 at Lichtwerk Bielefeld.

What is the admission price?

The regular ticket price is 14 euros.

Is the event indoors or outdoors?

The event takes place in the cinema and thus indoors.

Is there a discussion after the film?

Yes, afterwards the audience will speak with the Ukrainian historian and Judaic scholar Vladyslava Moskalets.

How do I get to Lichtwerk?

Lichtwerk is located at Ravensberger Park 7 in Bielefeld and is easily accessible by public transport, on foot, and by bicycle.

Is the cinema accessible?

Lichtwerk is largely accessible; there are disabled parking spaces and barrier-free access to the foyer and halls.

SHTTL at Lichtwerk: An Evening Full of Memory, History, and Moving Cinematic Atmosphere

Name: Cinema with Guests: SHTTL
Start: 2026-05-22T20:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-05-22T22:00:00+02:00
Location: Lichtwerk

An evening between memory, cinema, and lively discussion

Cinema with Guests: SHTTL takes place on May 22, 2026, at Lichtwerk Bielefeld and combines an immersive cinematic experience with a subsequent discussion with the Ukrainian historian and Judaic scholar Vladyslava Moskalets. The evening opens a window into a Yiddish-speaking shtetl in Ukraine, just hours before its downfall, transforming the film screening into a cultural resonance space.

A shtetl in the last light before catastrophe

SHTTL tells the story of a Jewish-Ukrainian village on the border between Ukraine and Poland, one day before the Nazis' invasion of the Soviet Union. At the center is a young filmmaker returning from Kyiv, wanting to elope with his great love. From this private tension, a drama about family, tradition, desire, and the fragile order of an entire community emerges.

The film's staging focuses on a single shot, creating a special closeness to the characters. This enhances the theater atmosphere of the evening, even though a film is projected on the screen: every movement, every glance, every silence feels distilled from a chamber play. This is precisely where the power of this stage experience in cinematic form lies.

Dramaturgy that goes under the skin

The production fully reconstructs a traditional shtetl outside of Kyiv. The fact that this place was later destroyed adds an additional historical depth to the screening. According to the cinema, SHTTL pays tribute to the dead, the language, and a bygone culture. The cinematic form, the Yiddish language, and the close connection to historical experience make the evening an intense encounter with memory culture and European history.

After the screening, a discussion follows with Vladyslava Moskalets. This transforms the cinema date into a culturally journalistic relevant evening with historical context, categorization, and audience reaction in the best sense: not just to watch, but to think, inquire, and contextualize.

Contextualization and resonance

The film won the FS Audience Award at the Rome Film Fest. The official film site describes it as a work that condenses the lives, loves, and inner conflicts of a Jewish-Ukrainian community into a single, uninterrupted shot. Critical voices highlight the immersive power, formal precision, and emotional weight. This combination of historical significance and formal concentration makes SHTTL a unique program item for discerning film and culture enthusiasts.

Those who visit SHTTL at Lichtwerk will not experience a mere screening, but an evening about loss, memory, and cultural identity. The interplay of cinematic art, discussion, and historical echo promises a moving appointment that will remain in memory for a long time. Now is the right moment to experience this special event live.