CULTURE
SHIRA HAAS’ UNORTHODOX RISE TO STARDOM
MARCH 31, 2020
-
PHOTOGRAPHY & INTERVIEW
by TATIJANA SHOAN
STYLED
by STACEY JONES
MAKEUP
by CLAIRE BAYLEY
HAIR
by LUIS GUILLERMO
Unorthodox, is the much talked about, four-part mini-series that dropped March 26 on Netflix. This moving and climatic story is about a young woman’s brave decision to break away from her ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn to find herself through music in a new country. Unorthodox is inspired by The New York Times best-selling memoire by Deborah Feldman, and stars Israeli actor, Shira Haas, who plays Esther Shapiro, with incredible sensitivity and depth. Known for her intense gaze, poise, and uncompromising performances, Haas guides us through this secretive community to reveal the trials many women struggle with, and her ultimate reclamation of a life full of unrealized dreams.
Sportmax leather dress, silk top | Âme Bold Q ear cuff | Royal Oak Selfwinding
18k pink gold case, clasp and applied hour-markers and hands; “Grande Tapisserie” black dial pattern; sapphire crystal caseback, with hand-stitched black alligator strap. | Onitsuka Tiger Delegation Ex sneakers
AS IF: Hi Shira, what is it like being back in Tel Aviv with the Coronavirus scare?
Shira Haas: I’m home pretty much all the time since this is the only way to get through this. It’s so important to listen to the recommendation of staying home. Of course, a lot of things have been canceled, it’s a really crazy time. I’ve been meditating a lot and trying to keep positive. We are stronger than this virus and need to stay positive.
I go through bouts of positivity followed by fear and depression. It’s not easy living through this in New York City. I now predict my moods swings depending on the weather. But, this is a good time to watch all the TV programs I have been wanting to see but never had the time! I watched Unorthodox on Netflix last night. I started it at 11:30pm and watched all four episodes, I couldn’t turn it off. It’s unbelievable, what an incredible mini-series. Everything about it felt authentic, even the club scenes, nothing about this project felt contrived in anyway. And you gave an incredible performance.
Thank you, thank you.
You’re used to playing a Hassidic woman on the long running series Shtisel, which also airs on Netflix. What makes your role in Unorthodox different?
For starters the Hassidic communities are different. The community in Shtisel is ultra-orthodox from Jerusalem and the community from Unorthodox is Satma, and it’s almost like they don’t get along. Their rituals are very different, the language is different, even inside the community the people are different, and the families are different. You might notice that the word Satma was never mentioned in Unorthodox. Some viewers will know that it’s the Satma community if they read about Debra Feldman or read her memoire, but you don’t hear us mention the word because this is not what the show is trying to say, nor did we want to point a finger at this particular community. But for me as an actor, I portrayed a character that was inspired by a true story, so it was important for me to do a lot of research about the community so I can be as authentic as possible. Actors often have a feeling when reading scripts that it’s a story we really want to tell. Reading Unorthodox was the strongest feeling I’ve ever had towards a project. It’s a very complex and special coming of age story. Of course, my character comes from a specific community in Brooklyn, a strict Hassidic community that she is trying to leave, but it doesn’t really matter where she’s from. It’s not a story about a specific community, nor is it a love story about Berlin, it’s a coming of age story about a woman trying to find herself, and that is something everyone can relate to. My character, Esther Shapiro, is such a rare character to play, she is so strong and complex. At times she is very vulnerable and fragile, while also being tough and strong. I was attracted to this tension and duality.
