The series is set in both Brooklyn, New York, and Berlin, Germany, and production took place in both locations. The scenes that took place in Brooklyn were filmed on location in the real-life Satmar Hasidic community in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. The filmmakers were granted access to the community and were able to shoot many scenes inside synagogues and private homes. The show’s producers worked with a consultant who grew up in the Satmar community and provided guidance on how to accurately depict the community’s rituals and customs.
The Berlin scenes, on the other hand, were not shot on location in Germany. Due to budgetary constraints, the production team was unable to shoot in Berlin, so they had to find a suitable alternative. The team ultimately settled on shooting in the German town of Görlitz, which is located on the border between Germany and Poland. The town has a rich history and features many well-preserved buildings and streets that date back to the 18th century. Görlitz has been used as a filming location for many movies and TV shows, including “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Inglourious Basterds.”
The production team faced several challenges while filming “Unorthodox” in Görlitz. For example, the scenes set in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, had to be recreated in Germany, which required a lot of attention to detail. The team had to find suitable locations that looked like the real-life locations in Brooklyn, and they had to carefully research the minutiae of the Satmar community’s dress and customs. Additionally, some of the Yiddish dialogue had to be re-recorded in Germany because the dialect spoken in Brooklyn was slightly different from the German Yiddish dialect.
Despite these challenges, the production team was able to create a stunning visual representation of the Satmar community and Esther’s journey to Berlin. The show’s cinematography is particularly striking, with many scenes shot in low light to highlight the emotional turmoil of the characters. The scenes in Görlitz, in particular, look hauntingly beautiful, and the town’s old-world charm adds to the show’s sense of nostalgia and longing.
In conclusion, while “Unorthodox” is set in both Brooklyn, New York, and Berlin, Germany, the filming took place in both locations. The scenes set in Brooklyn were filmed on location in the real-life Satmar Hasidic community in Williamsburg, while the scenes in Berlin were filmed in the German town of Görlitz. Despite the challenges faced by the production team, the show is a stunning visual representation of the Satmar community and Esther’s journey to Berlin. The attention to detail and the cinematography are two of the show’s standout features, and they have contributed to its critical success. If you are interested in watching “Unorthodox,” it is available to stream now on Netflix.