Ali Kazimi in Person

A beautiful bride caught in the clutches of scheming in-laws and a sinister husband—unfortunately, this is no Bollywood heartwrencher, but a disturbing investigation of individuals exploiting the loopholes created by cultural norms and the vagaries of immigration. The past few years have seen a remarkable increase in "runaway grooms," Indian Canadian men who travel back to India for arranged marriages, only to disappear after taking the bride's entire dowry. Once back in Canada, they quickly file for divorce, pocketing the money and leaving their brides stigmatized and broke. Interviewing victims in India, as well as a perpetrator in Canada and a host of activists, scholars, and lawyers, Kazimi uncovers a crime born out of greed and a dowry culture where "daughters are considered a stranger's wealth."

—Jason Sanders

• (52 mins, Beta SP, From Peripheral Visions Film & Video Inc.)

Preceded by:
Some Kind of Arrangement
Ali Kazimi (Canada, 1998)

Articulate, attractive, and self-assured, the three quintessentially modern Indian Canadian protagonists of Some Kind of Arrangement may drive fancy sports cars, work as systems analysts, and listen to jazz, but they all are also about to try their hand at an ancient tradition: an arranged marriage. Kazimi lends an understanding ear and an unobtrusive gaze to their preparations and predicaments, unveiling individuals capable of bridging modernity and tradition with a carefree shrug, a wry smile, and surprising insight.

• Written, Photographed by Kazimi. (44 mins, Beta SP, From National Film Board of Canada)

• (Total running time: 96 mins, Color)