Shoah (1985): cast, story & where to watch
1985 · Film · ★ 8.4
Released in 1985, Shoah is a history and documentary film directed by Claude Lanzmann, running about 566 minutes.
What it’s about. Claude Lanzmann directed this 9½ hour documentary on the Holocaust without using a single frame of archive footage. He interviews survivors, witnesses, and ex-Nazis (whom he had to film secretly since they only agreed to be interviewed by audio). His style of interviewing, by asking for the most minute details, is effective at adding up these details to give a horrifying portrait of the events of Nazi genocide. He also shows, or rather lets some of his subjects show, that the anti-Semitism that caused 6 million Jews to die in the Holocaust is still alive and well in many people who still live in Germany, Poland, and elsewhere.
Who’s in it. Shoah stars Claude Lanzmann as Self - Interviewer, Simon Srebnik as Himself, Michael Podchlebnik as Himself and Motke Zaidl as Himself, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 8.4/10, Shoah sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue. It went on to earn $20.2K at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Philo. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Shoah page.
If you liked it. Fans of Shoah tend to enjoy Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge and Green Book.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Shoah (1985)?
- In US, Shoah is available to stream on Philo. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Shoah worth watching?
- Shoah holds an audience score of 8.4 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy history and documentary. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in Shoah?
- Shoah stars Claude Lanzmann, Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Motke Zaidl and Jan Karski.
- When was Shoah released?
- Shoah was released in 1985, with a runtime of about 566 minutes.