Airing March 26, the unprecedented German-produced, based-on-true-life, mini-series in Yiddish is powered by Israeli actress Shira Haas and an explosive female creative team
On the first day of shooting for the new limited Netflix series “Unorthodox,” actress Shira Haas had her head shaved on camera. Her thick, long, light brown locks fell to the ground as she cried and smiled simultaneously.
“I was ready for it, and it was important for the story. But still, I was personally filled with the same mixed emotions Esty had,” Haas said of the character she plays in this groundbreaking production.
The four-episode series, inspired by the 2012 memoir, “Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots,” by Deborah Feldman about leaving her ultra-Orthodox upbringing, begins streaming worldwide on March 26. It is the first Yiddish-language production ever to come out of Germany
By shaving her hair off and donning a wig, 18-year-old Esty assumes in good faith her prescribed role as a newly married woman in the insular Satmar community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She strives unsuccessfully to make her husband and extended family happy by getting pregnant. One miserable year later, she boldly runs away to Berlin, removes her wig, and starts to find her own voice — both figuratively and literally.
Although set in the Satmar community with its myriad religious laws, customs, and particular way of life, “Unorthodox” is essentially a universal coming of age story. Produced and written by Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski, expertly directed by Maria Schrader, and performed by an excellent cast, the show will likely appeal to viewers of all backgrounds.
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