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The Unorthodox

  • Israel
  • Feature
  • 2018
  • 99 min.
  • Director(s): Eliran Malka
  • Producer(s): Ra'anan Gershoni

Synopsis

When Yakov Cohen’s daughter is expelled from school for ethnic reasons, he decides to fight back. It’s 1983 and Yakov, a printer in Jerusalem, is just a regular guy. He has no knowledge, no money, no connections and no political experience. But he does have the will and the passion to take action, and a belief that he and and other Sephardic Jews should be able to hold their heads up high. Yakov brings two friends along and together they start the first ethnic political group in Jerusalem, with an operation characteristic of the people they represent: not the suit-wearing types, but rather the people working their way up from the bottom. Their operation is informal, full of love for their fellow man, animated by a great sense of humor and a whole lot of rage.

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Credits

Director(s)

Eliran Malka

Producer(s)

Ra'anan Gershoni

Executive Producer(s)

Rachel Paran, Idit Paran

Script

Eliran Malka

Cinematography

Yaron Scharf

Editor

Arik Lahav-Leibovich

Original Music

Ophir Leibovitch

Cast

Shuli Rand, Yaacov Cohen, Golan Azulai, Yoav Levi, Or Lumbrozo, Tzahi Grad, Yigal Naor, Shifi Aloni

Original Language

Hebrew

Subtitles

English, French, Greek

Chief Producer

Yehonatan Paran

Head of Film Dept

Keren Michael

Production Company

Dori Media Paran, Tel Aviv

Production Design

Ido Dolev

Sound Design

Avi Mizrahi, Gil Toren

Supported by

Israel Film Fund, The Jerusalem Film & Television Fund at the Jerusalem Development Authority, Gesher Multicultural Film Fund, HOT

Festival Highlights

  • Winner

    Special Mention Best Feature
    Religion Today
    2020
  • Winner

    Best Feature Film
    Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema
    2019
  • Winner

    Best Film
    Montreal Israeli Film Festival
    2019
  • Winner

    Best Screenplay
    Montreal Israeli Film Festival
    2019
  • Winner

    Best Photography
    Montreal Israeli Film Festival
    2019
  • Winner

    Best Film
    Moscow Jewish Film Festival
    2019

Religion Today, Italy, 2020

Bengaluru International Film Festival, India, 2020

Mexico Israeli Film Festival, Mexico, 2020

Louisville Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2020

Jewish Federation of El Paso, USA, 2020

Spokane Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2020

Denver Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2020

Tirana International Film Festival, Albania, In Competition, 2019

Jewish Motifs International Film Festival, Poland, 2019

Stony Brook International Film Festival, USA, 2019

Axelrod Performing Arts Center, USA, 2019

St. Louis Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2019

Shalom Europa, France, 2019

Israel Film Center Festival, USA, 2019

Moscow Jewish Film Festival, Russia, 2019

Montreal Israeli Film Festival, Canada, 2019

Winnipeg Jewish Film Festival, Canada, 2019

Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2019

Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2019

Synagogue Beth Or, USA, 2019

Washington Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2019

Detroit Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2019

Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Canada, 2019

Beijing International Film Festival, China, 2019

Victoria International Film Festival, Canada, 2019

Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA, 2019

Jerusalem International Film Festival, Israel, Opening Night Film, 2018

Goa International Flim Festival, India, Official Selection, 2018

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