‘Deutschland 83’ Actress Maria Schrader Set to Direct
ROBERT MITCHELL
Netflix has announced the start of production on its Yiddish- and English-language German series “Unorthodox,” which is shooting in Berlin. The streaming giant is partnering with “Deutschland 83” creator Anna Winger on the original four-part miniseries which will be directed by “Deutschland 83” and “Deutschland 86” star Maria Schrader.
Based on a novel by Deborah Feldman, “Unorthodox” tells the story of a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman in New York (Shira Haas) who flees her arranged marriage and religious community to start a new life in Berlin. It was adapted for television by Winger and Alexa Karolinski. Winger serves as executive producer. The project was first revealedby Variety in February.
“‘Unorthodox’ explores female emancipation, identity and sexuality through the prism of a unique young woman’s experience,” said Schrader. The German actress is making her first move into TV directing with the show, having previously stepped behind the camera for three features, most recently with the 2016 biopic of Jewish Austrian writer Stefan Zweig, “Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe.”
The series also stars Jeff Wilbusch and Amit Rahav. It is produced by Winger’s Studio Airlift and Henning Kamm for Real Film Berlin.
Rachel Eggebeen, director of Netflix International Originals, said the production stood for the company’s “approach to touch the hearts of a global audience with a very specific and local story.” “It’s amazing to see how much love for detail and authenticity is going into this unique project,” said Eggebeen.
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