If you have been binge-watching Shtisel, you will be delighted to learn that Shira Hass (The Zoo’s Keeper Wife) is back on Netflix for the release of Unorthodox on March 26. The trailer, released on March 6, portrays Esther Shapiro’s journey for independence as she is welcomed by a group of musicians in Berlin, but her past is quick to find her again
Jumping between Yiddish and English, Unorthodox is an adaptation of the 2012 New York Times best-selling memoir Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots. In her work, author Deborah Feldman recalls her escape from an ultra-Orthodox family after being forced into an arranged marriage at 17 by describing her everyday life. Growing up among the members of the religious Satmar sect, Feldman’s every move was controlled from her clothing to which language she was allowed to speak until she decided to run away with her son.
Created by both Anna Winger (creator of Deutschland 83) and Alexa Karolinski (creator of Oma & Bella), the series starts when Feldman moved to Germany in 2014 and the main character, “Esty”, draws a sensitive portrayal of her life.
Esther is a woman living in the Hasidic Satmar community in Brooklyn who quickly becomes trapped into a strict marriage. But as her husband, Yakov Shapiro (Amit Rahav) tries to keep her within the religious strings, Esther decides to run away to Germany to emancipate herself.
Be ready on March 26, as you will discover Berlin as you have never seen it before.