Arranged (film)

Arranged
DVD cover
Directed by	Diane Crespo Stefan Schaefer
Produced by	Diane Crespo Stefan Schaefer
Written by	Stefan Schaefer Yuta Silverman
Starring	Zoe Lister-Jones Francis Benhamou
Music by	Sohrab Habibion Michael Hampton
Cinematography	Dan Hersey
Edited by	Erin Greenwall
Distributed by	Cicala Filmworks
Release dates	March 11, 2007 (2007-03-11)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English Hebrew Arabic

Arranged is a 2007 American independent film produced by Cicala Filmworks. The film was written by Stefan Schaefer and is based in part on the story of Rochel Meshenberg, an Orthodox Jewish woman from Borough Park, Brooklyn and her friendship with a young Muslim woman. Schaefer co-directed and produced the film with his long-time collaborator Diane Crespo.

Plot

The film centers on two young women — one an Orthodox Jew, the other a devout Muslim — who meet and become friends as first-year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. Over the course of the year they learn that they share much in common, not least of which is that they are both going through arranged marriages.

Cast

The cast includes Zoe Lister-Jones, Francis Benhamou, Marcia Jean Kurtz, John Rothman, Mimi Lieber and Daniel London. Writer Gary Shteyngart performs a cameo and is credited.

Festivals and distribution

The film premiered at the 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival, won top prizes at The Berkshire International Film Festival, The Brooklyn International Film Festival, The Washington Jewish Film Festival, The Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival, and The Skip City International D-Cinema Film Festival in Japan. The film is distributed in North America by New York-based Film Movement. Internationally, the film is sold by Visit Films, and has been distributed in more than 40 countries.

External links

• Arranged at IMDb
• Arranged: Happily Wholesome in a Brooklyn World