Written and directed on home turf by Geordie-born filmmaker David Leon and pairing two Empire favourites, Mike Smiley and Stephen Graham, Orthodox is a hard-hitting drama born out of a 2012 short film. Yes, we know the last movie to go down the short-to-feature route was Pixels, but this one should be much more worthy of your time. Take a look at its first trailer below.
Leon, who's also appeared on the other side of the camera in Alexander and Rock’n’Rolla, among others, has delved deep into the world of Jewish culture, boxing clubs and the criminal underworld. It’s a mighty clash of British cultures and subcultures given added force by having Stephen Graham at its epicentre as an orthodox Jewish man who was bullied for his faith as a kid and turns, Creed-like, to boxing as an outlet. As an adult, his need to provide for his family leads him into ever-deeper waters.
“Benjamin is a man caught between two worlds,” explains Leon, "the Orthodox Jewish community and mainstream life, yet the challenges he faces are much like those that we all have to confront. Through the decisions he makes he becomes an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances.”
Unusually, the short film also provides footage used in the feature-length version. The former was acclaimed and the extended edition will makes its UK bow from February 19, with Picturehouse cinemas showcasing it as part of its Discover Tuesdays slot on February 23.