Fiddler on the Roof: A Retrospective (1971 - 2021)
It has been fifty years since the fall November 3, 1971 release of the iconic movie, “Fiddler on the Roof.”
In a 10/31 retrospective experience (the recording of which is below) , folks came together to consider the ongoing legacy and meanings of “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Diverse scholars, educators, and artists publicly reflected on why and how “Fiddler on the Roof” mattered upon its release- and why and how it still matters.
Questions addressed by the retrospective included:
- What does “Fiddler on the Roof” suggest about the American context in which it was made- and what does its rise and now-global appeal suggest about it and our world?
- How does “Fiddler on the Roof” frame images of authentic Jewish life and practice, concerning religiosity, gender roles, etc?
- Is “Fiddler on the Roof” relevant to questions about how cultures engage with social changes wrought by modernity as well as the pull of tradition?
More “basic” but no less pressing questions were directly or indirectly engaged as well.
Most notably,
- Who is the fiddler?
- What is the roof?
- What is the meaning of the metaphor?
EVENT STRUCTURE:
Introduction, Welcome, and Setting the Stage — 0:00–3:26 — Josh Krug
GALLERY WALK: Fiddler Images and What They Make Us Feel — 3:26–6:05 — Josh Krug
Asking We We Care About FOTR (and Jan Bio)— 7:25–10:18- Josh Krug
HISTORY:
“Who is the Fiddler?”: A Detective Journey -10:18–43:38- Jan Lisa Huttner
SELECT READINGS:
- Intro to Tradition w/ Andrea Scharf — 44:15–45:52 —
- L’Chaim w/ Casey Girard — 45:53–47:30
- Sunrise, Sunset w/ Razel Solow - 47:30–49:17
- Anatevka w/ Andrea Scharf — 49:17–50:15
ROUNDTABLE PANEL and REFLECTION
- Intro: Why does FOTR matter? : Towards History WITH Meaning-making — Josh Krug — 50:15–52:14
- Opening Conversation about Past Trauma- and The Limits of Fictional Representation- Thais Miller- 52:14–1:00:37
- The Cost of Tradition- Dean Movshowitz — 1:00:37 -1:08:50
- The Cost of Progress- Sharone Waldman — 1:08:50–1:15:10
- Conversation and Reflection- Josh Krug, Thais Miller, Dean Movshowitz, Jan Lisa Huttner — 1:15:10–1:21:40
CONCLUSION, THANKS, and NEXT STEPS — 1:21:40–end
Link to ZOOM RECORDING, “FIDDLER ON THE ROOF: A RETROSPECTIVE”