Classic Cinemas

The Story

“Weaves a unique narrative that is serious and profound, as well as genuinely fun and entertaining” — Jerusalem Film Festival

From the director of hit Israeli TV series Shababnikim and inspired by the unique formation story of Israel’s Shas party, The Unorthodox follows Yakov Cohen (Shuli Rand, Ushipizin), a Sephardi Jew from Jerusalem who is affronted when his daughter is expelled from her school for no reason apart from her ethnic background. A printer with no political experience, Yakov is nevertheless inspired to take action, and bands together with two friends to start the first ethnic political group in Jerusalem. The trio - powered by rage, passion, a burning sense of injustice, and Yakov’s daughter’s inheritance - embark on an unlikely ascent through the Ashkenazi-dominated Israeli political system, which had never before experienced the wrath of the spurned - and thrifty - Sephardim.

With a terrific 80s nostalgia and a jaunty original soundtrack, The Unorthodox is an exhilarating, moving and laugh-out-loud film about the rise of the underdog, and the power of a single man to create real societal change. Premiered as Opening Night film at the 2018 Jerusalem Film Festival.

Sneak preview screening.