Arranged

Here’s an interesting show for you and the kids: Arranged, a tale of two Brooklyn teachers—Rochel, an Orthodox Jew, and Nasira, a Syrian Muslim—both of whom are in the process of being set up in arranged marriages. Somehow they manage to become close friends. By setting the film in a public grade school and forcing these two characters to endure the unquenchable curiosity of their young charges, the directors, Diane Crespo and Stefan Schaefer, have created a film that invites dialogue without battering you over the head. This sweet little movie is full of fascinating characters and plenty of fine moments, especially those illuminating the painfully awkward steps toward meeting the men with whom these women will spend the rest of their lives. Watch to see that an arranged marriage has many of the same pitfalls as today’s conventional courtships. This screening is part of the Sabes Foundation Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival.

Sabes Jewish Community Center, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, St. Louis Park; 952-381-3400.