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ARRANGED
Directed by Stefan C. Schaefer and Diane Crespo
YEAR 5 | FILM 12 Drama | USA | English Language
Winner - Best Film - Brooklyn Int'l Film Festival
"The simple sweetness of this heartfelt effort arrives as both endearing and culturally provocative."
-- Toddy Burton, The Austin Chronicle
Please Note:
Running Time: 89 Minutes
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Synopsis
Rochel is an Orthodox Jew, and Nasira a Muslim of Syrian origin. They are both young teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. They also have something else in common – they are going through the process of getting "arranged marriages" through their respective religious and traditional customs. With both family pressure on the one hand, and the rejection of traditional values by the outside world on the other, Rochel and Nasira will have to rely on each other and their friendship to pull through this difficult time of their lives, striving to be strong women in charge of their own happiness, while keeping their deep religious and cultural convictions.
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Technical Specifications
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Language: English
Subtitles: None
Format: DVD (NTSC)
Encoding: Region 1
Aspect Ratio:
Screen Format: HD/16x9 (Widescreen)
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Closed Captioned: Yes
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DVD Special Features
Biographies of Director and Actors
Short Film: THE RAFT by Jan Thüring
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"A lovely little gem of a film, beautifully shot and perfectly cast...I can't remember the last time I screened a similarly low-budget film that pulled all the pieces together so well." --Mary Glucksman - Review
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NYC Movie Guide
Zoe Lister Jones and Frances Benhamou both give convincing performances that keep you engrossed in the story. The well-written screenplay by Stefan Shaefer breathes life into each characters so that neither is one-note—nobody comes across as truly bad or over-the-top...It's very rare to find such a simple story with serious issues as friendship, true love, intolerance and prejudice, yet with an uplifting and hopeful message about how two people from seemingly different backgrounds can have so much in common by just getting to know one another. If everyone in the world were apply this to their own lives, perhaps there would be at least the chance for world peace. Number of times I checked my watch: 0. Entertainment Value: High.
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"Writer-director Stefan Schaefer's modest, surprisingly winning indie drama [has] a sense of intimacy that serves it well" --New York Magazine - Review
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By Alex Navissi
"Arranged" offers a touching and often hilarious look at two women… Rochel (Zoe Lister-Jones) and Nasiria (Francis Benhamou) should be recognized as two of the best female characters and performances in recent years..."Arranged" is a must-see in this globalized world."
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 Jeff in Seattle - Customer Review
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 Bradenmar - Customer Review Well done! Sensitivity shown to both religious and national issues. Film could be used in sensitivity trainings as a foreum for dialogue. Should be used with groups assisting in building global unity; the earth is but one country and mankind its citizens. Will recommend this to all my friends.
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 Delonna Gibbs - Customer Review Excellent! I love the friendship between Rochel and Nasira. And I admire that both women were depicted as education women who cherish their family traditions. Both religions were respectfully represented and I appreciate how the author address both diversity and discrimination. Job well done!
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 Jill Kamp Melton - Customer Review
So beautiful that I have watched it 3 times. Gifted it with the DVD for my recent birthday, I plan to watch it frequently. It is rare to see this quality of acting and directing in an independent film that is permeated with the beauty of the human condition, not the ugliness of it. Redemptive and transformative I plan to use this film mentoring young women to help them avoid poor choices in dating and marriage. It should receive an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. Can they be awarded retroactively?
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