This is why everyone is talking about Unorthodox

To be honest, since the overall quarantine I've had little desire for serious, intense series and movies. I find that quarantine intense enough, so I prefer something light to watch. However, those reruns of Modern Family are starting to get on my nerves, and when I saw everyone raving about the series Unorthodox, I gave in. And I'm very satisfied with that.

Because wow, this series is really good. Fun fact: the first Netflix series in Yiddish. Do I speak Yiddish? Absolutely not. Thank god for subtitles, and I must say that such a, for me, strange language didn't get in my way at all. I was also way too busy being completely absorbed in that series, because it is really good and very addictive. So I understand what all the fuss is about.

Okay, the story. The Satmar community, founded by Hungarians, is an Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The founders moved here after World War II and are very dedicated to maintaining their faith after being traumatized by the war. The series is based on the memoirs of Deborah Feldman, who was a member of Satmar.

She wrote a book about it in 2012 (which I now also want to read). She fled and left her arranged marriage. Just like her mother, by the way, who had previously escaped Satmar and left Deborah with her grandparents. The main character is actually not named Deborah but Esty in the series.

Unorthodox gives you a very special glimpse into this community in Brooklyn, which is really incredibly fascinating. To build a new life, Esty flees to Berlin, which is also a very beautiful setting. Besides the series itself, the scenery is also a big plus.

So it's not light fare, but you probably really don't want to turn it off. And if you've finished it and still can't get enough (I get it), there's also a nice making of on Netflix. So plenty to watch.

Image: Netflix