Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary lands coveted Oscar nomination

Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary is the story of victims of acid violence.


News Desk January 25, 2012

KARACHI: Pakistani journalist and documentarian Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s latest venture Saving Face has won an Oscar nomination under the category ‘Best Documentary, Short Subject’.


Saving Face is the story of two women from Southern Punjab who are victims of acid violence.


“It is a positive story about Pakistan on two accounts: firstly, it portrays how a Pakistani-British doctor comes to treat them and it also discusses, in great depth, the parliament’s decision to pass a bill on acid violence,” Obaid-Chinoy had said when her film was short-listed for nominations in October 2011. According to the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill, the perpetrators of acid violence will be punished with imprisonment for life and Obaid-Chinoy has captured that aspect in her latest venture.

Obaid-Chinoy received the Emmy award for her documentary Pakistan: Children of the Taliban in 2010.

The documentary, which is filmed across Islamabad, Rawalpindi and the small towns of Punjab, released in the US in November. It is due to release in the UK in March 2012, following which it will be released in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2012. 


COMMENTS (44)

Farooq Bilgrami | 12 years ago | Reply

Uzma Tahir, I congratulate you for achieving the success as Punjab government has acted on your suggestion and these girls will now be treated by the government instead of being treated through charity. You are our hero as what you have done is far better than what Sharmeen has done. I really appreciate your vision and views. Keep up the good work!

Uzma Tahir | 12 years ago | Reply

First of all I would like to congratulate Sharmeen on her success. I however wish if Sermeen could work for these victims selflessly; the way Musarrat Misbah is working with a low profile for the last so many years. We must not use these girls for our own personal motives. What do these girls achieve from this award? Dr. Jawad gets the fame; Shermeen gets the Oscar and a quantum jump in her carrier whereas these girls get nothing but are only used as a tool for achieving the objectives of others. Why couldn't this be stopped? Government of Pakistan should provide free medical treatment to all such victims. Why should they be left at the mercy of others? Why should they be treated from charity? If the government has failed to provide them adequate protection in the first place, the least they can do is to provide them free medical services and jobs in the government departments.

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