Every Good Marriage Begins with Tears

Overview

Shahanara Begum is quick-witted, coarse-mannered, in her early 20s and has embraced Western life. But her lifestyle has turned her father against who banished her from her family. To pacify him and heal old wounds with her father, she agrees to marry a man that her family has chosen for her. However, she discovers after the ceremony that he has decided they will live in Bangladesh rather than London so she abandons her husband, leaves home, gets a job and a boyfriend.

Meanwhile, Shahanara's younger sister, Hushnara Begum, is submissive, devout, quiet, and dutiful, and obeys her father and their domineering elder sister. Hushnara is being groomed for her own arranged marriage, something that at the age of 19 she does not feel ready for. When her parents inform her they have decided she will marry a man in Bangladesh that she has never met, she agrees. However, as her wedding day draws closer, her misgivings grow stronger and she refuses to marry the man her parents have chosen for her.

Development

Every Good Marriage Begins with Tears takes its title from an old Kyrgyz saying. The film is produced, directed, written by Simon Chambers. It was Chambers' feature debut after several documentary shorts.

Release

Every Good Marriage Begins With Tears is distributed by Films Transit International. On 3 November 2006, it received its world premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest. On 26th in the same month, it was screened at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in Amsterdam. On 13 March 2007, it was screened at the Oxford International Documentary Film Festival. On 27 April of the same year, it was screened at the East End Film Festival. In June 2007, it was screened at the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) Film Festival. It was also screened at Film Southasia in Nepal. On 30 June 2013, it was screened at Cutting East Film Festival.

On 21 May 2009, the film was broadcast by BBC Four on documentary series Storyville. It was bought by around 20 countries for television transmission.

Reception

Leslie Felperin of Variety said, "Every Good Marriage Begins With Tears takes a humorous and deeply personal look at the experience of two London-based girls of Bangladeshi extraction whom their family tries to marry off."

Diana Lodderhose of OPEN said, "...the film explores the universal theme of love and generational conflict between the daughters’ ideas and their parents. It dispels myths about Islam's treatment of women and puts a human face on the communities lately being targeted as a result of the terrorist attacks on the West."

Mark Deming of The New York Times described it as "Two sisters living in England whose family have raised them in the traditions of their native Bangladesh have very different perspectives on the issue of arranged marriage."

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam said, "The film offers a rare, candid and humorous glimpse into the life of a family and the clash of generations and cultures." Cutting East Film Festival said, "This funny poignant film gives an insight into the effect both positive and negative an arranged marriage has on a family and on the community."