"This Is What Happens When Determined Women Get Together"

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, this probably isn't a name most people are familiar with, I wasn't either until the Academy Awards of 2012. This brilliant Pakistani film-maker won the Oscar for Best Documentary (Short Subject) in 2012 for her film Saving Face which delves into the issue of acid attacks on women in Pakistan. This is a subject I was made aware of by my mother many years ago and I've researched it however it lay forgotten until Saving Face won that Oscar and I was yet again reminded of this horrific occurrence. I watched the film and needless to say, I was blown away by this film-maker's gutsy move to cover such a topic, something that countries plagued by it strive to keep hidden, and sweep under the carpet.

I did some research on Sharmeen herself and came across her amazing body of work which covers several issues plaguing the world, issues that are considered taboo, issues that people who aren't affected by them pay no mind to. If you do get the chance, you should definitely check some of these amazing films out, they might open your eyes a bit more.

The Academy Awards of 2016 saw Ms. Obaid-Chinoy win her second Oscar award in the same category as before, Best Documentary (Short Subject). According to Kate Dries, "During a night that was infamously lacking in diversity, A Girl in the River was a rare highlight." This time Sharmeen's work focused on another prominent issue of her homeland, honour killings. This is something I've spent a lot of time reading about and examining from my own point of view. Anyway, her film, A Girl In The River: The Price of Forgiveness, is quite possibly one of the most important pieces of film work in today's world.

The tells the story of Saba, an 18-year-old girl whose father and uncle attempt to kill her as a result of her marrying a man from a poorer family. This is what is defined as an "honor killing." In a twist to the tale, of course the main character can't just die, so Saba miraculously survives the shooting, and makes a vow to bring her father and uncle to justice. The laws in Pakistan prove to be a hindrance to her goal however,they state that if a victim decides to forgive the perpetrators of the crime, those disgusting individuals can walk free.

Many people may not know about it but, this particular film has made waves in Pakistan, reaching the highest of people, namely the Prime Minister. In her acceptance speech, Sharmeen said, "The Pakistani Prime Minister said he will change the law on honour killings after watching this film," she added. “That is the power of film.” Right you are Sharmeen. The Pakistani Prime Minister himself, Nawaz Sharif praised the film highly, he is quoted as saying, "We are striving to give women their rightful place in the society, both economically and politically and end all sorts of violence against them and bring the perpetrators of attacks on them to justice." These words may not seem like much to a lot of people, because they are after all, just words. But these words gave me so much hope in world tormented by so much injustice, I will hold on to them.

Saba's story is presented in an incredibly inspiring light, hopefully one that many take heed of. Apart from surviving the attack, her supporters included those male members of institutions that usually fail us as women in these circumstances, lawyers, doctors, and police officers. Unfortunately, the thing that fails her most remarkably is society itself. The pressures of society for her to forgive her father and uncle so they can keep providing for the family and community (now, I'm not even going to attempt to say how much easier any of this would've been if women weren't treated as second class citizens and allowed a chance to work etc. because that's a whole other story). We are also exposed to something that we see far too often today: the way people misinterpret Islam and the teachings of the Quran in a way that justifies some of their despicable, immoral actions. This is something that irks me to no end, but it is still quite prevalent in today's "modern" society. Also it must be noted that Saba’s acceptance of her situation (something that was incredibly difficult to do), along with her hope that it will get better for the baby she is carrying was so incredibly poignant. I'm so happy to hear that maybe Saba’s dream of a Pakistan that is safer and better for women is not so far off, and a step closer to reality thanks to this movie.

xoxo, Shantilly.