LAJFF Hosts ‘Unorthodox’ Director Maria Schrader for Webinar About Hit Series

Inspired by Deborah Feldman’s best-selling memoir about leaving her Chasidic community, miniseries “Unorthodox” has been a hit for Netflix since its March premiere—but has also prompted debate about its portrayal of Charedi Jews.

On May 31, Maria Schrader, the German actress (“Aimee & Jaguar,” “Deutschland 83” and its sequel “Deutschland 86”) and director of “The Giraffe” (with Dani Levy) and “Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe,” will speak about the series in conversation with Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival executive director Hilary Helstein via Zoom and Facebook Live.

“When I saw that Maria was involved in it, I knew that it would be brilliant, because she’s brilliant,” Helstein said, noting that the LAJFF has presented programs with Schrader in person previously on “Aimee & Jaguar” and “Stefan Zweig.” “I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to talk about ‘Unorthodox’ and her films.”

Sponsored by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany and in partnership with the Jewish Journal, Goethe-Institut LA, Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V., the Zoom webinar begins at

12 p.m. PDT. Registry is required here. 

You can also find it on Facebook. Registrants for the event will be able to submit questions to the moderator.

Other upcoming LAJFF programs include a short film series and the June 11 presentation of “Healing Ink” of Artists 4 Israel, about eight American tattoo artists who go to Israel to help 16 PTSD-afflicted soldiers heal. The documentary follows the first year of the project and the relationships the men developed as these artists help the war heroes reclaim their bodies and continue to heal physically and emotionally.