1997, 45:45 minutes, colour, English
Watch Some Kind of Arrangement at NFB.ca
In this documentary, the age-old tradition of arranged marriages takes a modern twist when 3 second-generation South Asian young people decide to marry. Engaging and refreshingly candid in their opinions, they make it clear that arranged marriages aren’t what they used to be.
Preety is the quintessential woman of the 90s: confident, independent and career-driven. But she’s about to do something most of her contemporaries would never consider—the 20 something accountant is preparing to enter into an arranged marriage. Focusing on three second-generation South Asians, Preety, Hanif and Rajni, this film is a smart, stylish and thoughtful examination of an age-old tradition in the midst of being adapted and transformed in North America. Engaging and refreshingly candid in their opinions, the three young people make it clear that arranged marriages aren’t what they used to be. Nowadays, they involve negotiation, beginning with introductory phone calls and matrimonial classifieds in East Indian community newspapers, and continuing with long-distance trips, lengthy get-to-know-each-other sessions and the option of saying “no.” For those who eventually say “yes” to an arranged marriage, the tradition represents a celebration of, and commitment to their Indian heritage. After her wedding, Preety is embarking on a new stage of life. As she says, it is a time for “getting to know the other person, and accepting whatever comes our way.”
Awards
Honourable Mention, Category: Marital and Family Issues and Communication
Itinerant, National Council on Family Relations, 1999, Minneapolis, USA
Certificate for Creative Excellence, category: Social Issues,1999, Redondo Beach, USA
Honourable Mention, Category: Humanities, International Film and Video Festival, 1998, Columbus, USA
Golden Sheaf Award, Category: Best Multicultural/Race Relations, Yorkton Film Festival, 1998
Nominated for The Donald Brittain Award for the best political or social documentary presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television at the Gemini Awards, 1998
Reviews
“This charming documentary profiles three throughly western, second-generation Indo-Canadians who surprise themselves by deciding to embrace one of the most life-affecting traditions of the the old world traditions: an arranged marriage.”
— Tony Atherton, Ottawa Citizen
“…has wry humour and warmth as it captures the clash of cultures and the role the families bring to the dilemma of these three eligible candidates.”
— Jim Bawden, Broadcast Week, Canada
Credits
Director: Ali Kazimi
Writer: Ali Kazimi
Producer: Geeta Sindhi
Executive Producer: Louise Lore
NFB Producers: Karen King, Claire Prieto
Editor: Nick Hector
CBC Commissioning Editor: Janice Tufford
Senior Researcher: Nisha Pahuja
Sound: Steve Munro
Music: Wende Bartley
Distribution
National Film Board of Canada
distribution@nfb.ca
Produced by Sondhi Productions in co-production with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and National Film Board of Canada
