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Arranged (film)
Encyclopedia
Arranged is an independent feature film produced by Cicala Filmworks
. The film was written by Stefan Schaefer
and is based in part on the story of Yuta Silverman, 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
.
. 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 marriage
s.
, Francis Benhamou, Marcia Jean Kurtz, John Rothman
, Mimi Lieber and Daniel London
.
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 over forty countries.
Cicala Filmworks
Cicala Filmworks is an award-winning independent film production company based in New York City. Feature film credits include "My Last Day Without You" , "Get A Job" , Michael Imperioli's debut The Hungry Ghosts , Olaf de Fleur's The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela , Arranged , and Confess...
. The film was written by Stefan Schaefer
Stefan Schaefer
Stefan Schaefer is an American writer, director and producer of independent films.-Early Life & Education :Schaefer was born in Boston, spent his childhood in Sussex, England and his adolescent years in Detroit and New York. He studied acting and political theory at Skidmore College and Wesleyan...
and is based in part on the story of Yuta Silverman, an Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
woman from Borough Park, Brooklyn
Borough Park, Brooklyn
Borough Park , is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City in the United States....
and her friendship with a young Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
woman. Schaefer co-directed and produced the film with his long-time collaborator Diane Crespo
Diane Crespo
Diane Crespo is a producer and director of feature films and documentaries. She co-founded Cicala Filmworks in 1997.Film credits include Arranged and Contested Streets....
.
Plot summary
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 BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. 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 marriage
Arranged marriage
An arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
s.
Cast
The cast includes Zoe Lister-JonesZoe Lister-Jones
Zoe Lister-Jones is an American, actress, singer, playwright, and screenwriter. She is currently appearing on Adult Swim's television program Delocated as Kim and on NBC's Whitney as Lily.-Life and career:...
, Francis Benhamou, Marcia Jean Kurtz, John Rothman
John Rothman
John Mahr Rothman is an American film, television, and stage actor.Rothman was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Elizabeth D. and Donald N. Rothman, a lawyer. He is the brother of film executive Tom Rothman. Rothman is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Yale School of Drama...
, Mimi Lieber and Daniel London
Daniel London
Daniel London is an American actor, possibly most notably famous for his roles in Patch Adams and Rent.-Life and career:Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, London began writing and acting in plays in high school. While a student at Mt...
.
Festivals and distribution
The film premiered at the 2007 South by SouthwestSouth by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
Film Festival, won top prizes at The Berkshire International Film Festival
Berkshire International Film Festival
The Berkshire International Film Festival was founded in 2005 by Kelley Vickery inGreat Barrington, Massachusetts. The four-day festival features independent films for filmmakers and film aficionados, with showings of features, documentaries, shorts, and animation—as well as panel discussions and...
, The Brooklyn International Film Festival
Brooklyn International Film Festival
The Brooklyn Film Festival ', prior to 2011 called the Brooklyn International Film Festival ' is an independent film festival held every June in Brooklyn, New York...
, The Washington Jewish Film Festival
Washington Jewish Film Festival
The Washington Jewish Film Festival is a film festival that features films that represent the great diversity of Jewish experiences. It is held at the Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater in the Washington, D.C., Jewish Community Center and other cinemas in Washington and suburban Maryland and Virginia....
, The Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival, and The Skip City International D-Cinema Film Festival in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. 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 over forty countries.