Film Review for Diversity in Health Course
Arranged (2007): Centers on the friendship between an Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim woman who meet as first-year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. Over the course of the year they learn they share much in common - not least of which is that they are both going through the process of arranged marriages.
Present on the following information: * What is the film about? * Arranged is a film that celebrates the integrity of two deeply religious women as they question tradition but in the end discover they can support it as a path with meaning. The title of the movie suggests that both women were going through arranged marriages. However, “arranged” is a misnomer. Nasira, the Muslim women and her fiancé basically chose each other. Rochel, the Orthodox Jew, experienced a life like version of e-harmony. * Who are the film makers? * What should we know about their motivation for the film? * The film makers are Stefan Schaefer and Diane Crespo. The film was created to show how different cultures interact with each other, the stereotypes that exist within each culture and the traditional values that are still in place. * What point of view is provided? Are there multiple points of view? * Rochel- Did not like the prospects that were chosen for her and she was slowly losing faith in the traditional process of marriage. * Nasira- Was optimistic about her traditional process for marriage even though she encountered some unpleasing men. * Orthodox Jew Family- The family was only worried about their reputation and the hardships that Rochel’s stubbornness would bring to her younger sister and family. Her father’s health was dependent on her marriage to a good man. The family was not comfortable having a Muslim in the house. * Muslim Family- The father was very understand of Nasira’s wants and needs in a marriage. He was willing to work with her in order for her to be completely happy with her marriage. The family was also more welcoming to outsiders than the Orthodox Jews. * Principal Jacoby- She was once an Orthodox Jew, but with the change of the century she moved past the old traditions and has now modernized her lifestyle. * Share a key clip or moment of reflection you think will generate some discussion * Unity Circle * Cup Activity * Would you recommend this film? * The film was great in giving insight to the lives of the young women who are faced with arranged marriages. The film showed the stress the young women had to deal with daily from their families’ pressure to be married into a good home. It also showed how race brought two young women together through the same struggles they were facing in their lives. * How would the content in this film be considered when implementing population health policies, access to healthcare, and community health outcomes? * All the Orthodox Jews live in the same neighborhood * All the Muslims live in the same neighborhood * Refers back to article about Afro-Caribbean patients visiting doctors. * Doctors did not take their patients seriously nor did they respect them due to their religious beliefs. * Rochel’s name pronunciation * Nasira’s birth control * Cultural tailoring * Religious beliefs * Both women where uncomfortable when a party was being discussed in the beginning of the film. * The film is about diversity more than it is about health * If you were asked to provide a health intervention within this community, what are some issues to consider? * Lack of screening for cervical cancer and mammograms due to the modesty of religious women of all cultural backgrounds. * Rochel did not know that Nasira used a birth control method due to the stereotype of Muslim women having many children. * If you had to give a 1-5 star rating, what would it be? * I would give the film a 3 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the humor in the film and the storyline. However, there were many stereotypes in the film, such as, the Muslim father being really strict, the women were unable to see each other due to their race, the professions that the Muslim men were given, and the ghetto children in Brooklyn, NY. Also, typical Americans were portrayed as people who just drink and party. The movie was too simple for a problem that is so complex. The ending was also quick by fast-forwarding a few years to Nasira’s and Rochel’s having children.