Another one for Pakistan.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy made history at the Oscars this week- the only Pakistani to over win two Academy Awards and also the only woman of color to win an Oscar at this year’s Award ceremony, the Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker's work has been phenomenal.
Her documentary "A Girl In The River: The Price of Forgiveness," focuses on honor killings in Pakistan and nearby regions. It features the life story of Saba Qaiser, who at the age of 18 fell in love and eloped, leading her family members to shoot her and leave her for dead in a river. She survived, and was forced to forgive her uncle and father under family pressure. They walked free, despite their crime. Saba sought to share her story with the world.
Chinoy’s work has convinced the Prime Minister of Pakistan that the loopholes in Pakistani law that allow perpetrators of honor killings to walk free, must be abolished and the act classified as a crime punishable by the court. This, according to Chinoy, is the real victory in her work.
Chinoy is not only elevating the rights and protection allotted to the female figure in this part of the world, she is bringing to our attention the need to be more concerned with what our environment, our surroundings are constituted upon, and what we can do to change that. Nominees and attendees alike touched upon important and relevant topics such as environmental consciousness and sexual abuse, the lack of diversity and representation of people of color in the film industry, and Chinoy's acceptance speech only added to the importance of media and film in raising awareness and consciousness in this day and age.
Her work, with or without the Oscar, deserves recognition, her message deserves to be spread like wildfire and Pakistan can once again hold its head high because a brilliant citizen was able to bring about monumental and lasting change for the nation.
“This week, the Pakistani Prime Minister has said that he will change the law on honor killing after watching this film. That is the power of film.” - S.O. Chinoy
