Alliance of Women Film Journalists Selection! Read an excerpt from Sandie Angulo Chen's AWFJ review: "Directors Diane Crespo and Stefan C. Schaefer’s short-and-sweet film captures the joy of the two women bonding against the odds. Their blossoming friendship overcomes obstacles, including their parents’ cringe-worthy reactions to the co-workers socializing outside of school. Even at school they can’t escape narrow-minded (and laughably inappropriate) comments from the secular Jewish Principal, who is so uncomfortable with their modesty that she accuses them of being indoctrinated and offers them cash to buy something trendy to wear."

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Rochel (Zoe Lister-Jones), an Orthodox Jew, and Nasira (Francis Benhamou), a devout Muslim, are new teachers at a Brooklyn public school. They are both also going through the process of arranged marriages according to their respective cultural traditions. Feeling crushing pressure from their respective families as well as the outside world, Rochel and Nasira turn to each other for strength as they strive to take charge of their own happiness.

Filmmaker Magazine called ARRANGED a "gem of a film, beautifully shot and perfectly cast" after its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival.

DIRECTED BY DIANE CRESPO & STEFAN SCHAEFER
UNITED STATES | 2007 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE