Arranged (2007)

ARRANGED centers on the friendship between an Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim woman who meet as first-year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. Over the course of the year they learn... See full summary »

Directors:

Diane Crespo, Stefan C. Schaefer

Writers:

Stefan C. Schaefer (story), Stefan C. Schaefer

Stars:

Zoe Lister-Jones, Francis Benhamou, Mimi Lieber

6 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zoe Lister-Jones	...	Rochel Meshenberg (as Zoe Lister Jones)
Francis Benhamou	...	Nasira Khaldi
Mimi Lieber	...	Sheli Meshenberg
John Rothman	...	Matan Meshenberg
Sarah Lord	...	Naomi Meshenberg
Trevor Braun	...	Avi Meshenberg
Doris Belack	...	Elona
Laith Nakli	...	Abdul-Halim Khaldi
Jason Liebman	...	Gideon
Marcia Jean Kurtz	...	Principal Jacoby
Peggy Gormley	...	Miriam
David Castro	...	Eddie
Sanjit De Silva	...	Jamil
Daniel London	...	Elliot
Max Shulman	...	Seth

Storyline

ARRANGED centers on the friendship between an Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim woman who meet as first-year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. Over the course of the year they learn they share much in common - not least of which is that they are both going through the process of arranged marriages.

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | arranged marriage | muslim | jewish | matchmaker | 

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Taglines:

Friendship Has No Religion

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Official MySpace

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hebrew Arabic Spanish

Release Date:

9 January 2009 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

Alguém que Me Ame de Verdade

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$120,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,560, 16 December 2007

Gross USA:

$21,898

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cicala Filmworks

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is loosely based on the experiences of Executive Producer Yuta Silverman, an Orthodox Jew who befriended a Pakistani Muslim woman through the public schools in Brooklyn.

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Goofs

In the scene where the two women are leaning against a chain link fence, talking, Rochel's arms go from being crossed near her chest, to being crossed much lower and then to being by her sides, and then back up all within a few seconds.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Teacher: We're forced to handle the challenges of ESL. Different cultural traditions, everything they enter the classroom with, serious family dysfunctions. Basically our schools, New York city schools, are one big experiment, one big laboratory in this exercise we call the American Experience. And we as teachers aren't equipped to deal with the task at hand. We're not, that's the sad truth. So, after lunch, I'll introduce some exercises designed to demonstrate what we all share, teachers ...

User Reviews

The Power of Friendship and Tolerance

Nasira and Rochel are the daughters of a Koranic scholar and Orthodox Jewish fathers beginning their teaching careers at a NY elementary school, who are drawn together by their common experience of belonging to conservative religious communities. The film's title focuses on the issue of arranged marriage, but the two women are only subjected to fairly mild forms of arm-twisting associated with this patriarchal custom. The main theme is their friendship across a cultural divide, which provides support as they resist the school principal's disapproval of their beliefs and parental pressure to marry.

Nasira's father is portrayed as a traditionalist who simply cannot envision his daughter's future without marriage and children. He offers only minimal resistance when Nasira rejects his chosen prospect - and the father-daughter relationship appears to be strengthened by the episode. Meanwhile Rochel resists a comical onslaught from her mother and a gaggle of marriage arrangers when they present her with a parade of socially inept suitors. Her mother bullies her with warnings about family disgrace and lifelong spinsterhood, and blames her for her father's rising blood pressure.

Francis Benhamou and Zoe Lister Jones deliver fine performances as Nasira and Rochel. They are backed up by their support cast as the screenplay and direction navigate a narrow passage between melodrama and realism. By the time the story reaches its conclusion, only the most stubborn cynic will remain immune to these unusual heroines.