Bleecker Street unveiled the first trailer for Disobedience, the Orthodox Jewish lesbian romance coming in late April. Based on the Naomi Alderman novel of the same name, the film premiered in September during the Toronto International Film Festival.
Sebastián Leilo directs the film–his first in the English language–from a screenplay he co-wrote with Rebecca Lenkiewicz. The film stars Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, and Alessandro Nivola.
Weisz stars as Ronit Krushka, a bisexual woman who left the London Orthodox Jewish community for New York and returns home following the death of her estranged father. Back in London, her relationship with a childhood friend, Esti Kuperman (McAdams), is reignited. Nivola co-stars as Esti’s husband, Rabbi Dovid Kuperman.
Alderman’s book was first published in 2006 to critical acclaim, much to the dismay of the London Orthodox Jewish community, winning Alderman awards such as the 2006 Orange Award for New Writers and the 2007 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. As unfair as it may be, it’s understandable to see why her native community frowned upon the book but the facts are plain and simple: Orthodox LGBTQ Jews exist and we’re not going away–yours truly is an Orthodox Jewish transgender film critic. Our communities may try and shun us (been there, done that) but we’re here whether you like it or not!
Bleecker Street has set an initial release for Disobedience on April 27, 2018.
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