3-10 Sep ‘23
 
Rus

The Unorthodox (2018)

The Unorthodox
12+
  • Country:

    Israel

  • Duration:

    92 min

  • Program:

    Main Competition, 5th MJFF

  • Type:

    Narrative, Feature

  • Genre:

    drama, comedy

  • Director:

    Eliran Malka

  • Producer:

    Yonathan Paran

  • Cast:

    Shuli Rand, Yaacov Cohen, Golan Azulai, Yoav Levi, Or Lumbrozo

About film

Israel, 1983. Yaakov Cohen, a widower and a Sephardi Jew, gets tired of being pushed around after his daughter, whom he is bringing up on his own, is expelled from her school for not being an Ashkenazi. Propelled by the sense of injustice, Cohen and his friends establish a Sephardic-ultra-Orthodox list (which still exists and is represented in the Knesset) and get ready to face the world of dirty politics.
 
While historical events in this film are rendered correctly, Israeli director Eliran Malka (this is his first feature film) dramatizes and reimagines real events in order to make the story engaging. He takes a historical drama about deprivations of an entire nation, of a national minority that is significant in numbers, and turns it into a comedy with light rhythm, but also with a substance. This is a crowd-pleaser, which can appeal to every audience.

Rewards and nominations

  • Beijing International Film Festival 2019 — Official Selection

Director

Eliran Malka

director and screenwriter, graduate in 2010 from Ma’ale School in Jerusalem. His thesis film «71 Square Meters» was screened at numerous festivals and won awards and honorable mention. In 2011 Malka received a development Grant from the Jerusalem Film Fund for the TV drama series «The Shababniks», which he created. The series produced by Dori Media Darset for HOT TV, and aired with great success in 2017. The Unorthodox will be Eliran’s first feature film.

Along with
Q&A. The original Shas’

Along with
Q&A. The original Shas’

Trailer

Director

Eliran Malka

director and screenwriter, graduate in 2010 from Ma’ale School in Jerusalem. His thesis film «71 Square Meters» was screened at numerous festivals and won awards and honorable mention. In 2011 Malka received a development Grant from the Jerusalem Film Fund for the TV drama series «The Shababniks», which he created. The series produced by Dori Media Darset for HOT TV, and aired with great success in 2017. The Unorthodox will be Eliran’s first feature film.