It was Oscar presenter Louis C K’s favourite award of the evening during this year’s ceremony.
“This is the one Academy Award that has the opportunity to change a life,” he said. “These people will never be rich as long as they live. So this Oscar means something, because all they do is tell stories that are important.”
The Oscar, for Documentary (Short Subject), went to Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy for A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, a film about honour killings in Pakistan.
It wasn't the 37-year-old's first time at Los Angeles's Dolby Theatre. In 2012, the Pakistani-Canadian won the Oscar in the same category for Saving Face, a documentary about victims of acid attacks in Pakistan. After its release, acid attacks were recognised as an act of terrorism by the Punjab government and courts were established to bring speedy justice.
Obaid-Chinoy again aims to change the law. Last year, senator Syeda Sughra Imam introduced the Anti-Honour Killings Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill 2014 in Pakistan’s parliament. It is intended to make the crime non-compoundable, so a convicted person cannot avoid punishment by being “forgiven” by the victim, as is the case under the Qisas and Diyat law. The bill passed through the senate but lapsed in parliament. But Obaid-Chinoy is still campaigning.
“If we can only address loopholes in the current legislation, we can slowly begin to protect the women of Pakistan,” she says.
She told us more about the film that is helping make it possible.
Why did you pick honour killing as a subject?
I am always looking to make the stories of marginalised communities accessible to a larger audience. Honour killings is a taboo subject for many in Pakistan. Very often, they aren’t challenged. Even reporting of honour killings in newspapers often comes with thinly veiled justifications about why it was done. To me, they are premeditated, cold-blooded murders being carried out under the ruse of culture and religion. I wanted to start a national discourse and build momentum to garner support for key legislation.
How did you meet Saba, the subject of your film?
I read about Saba in the newspapers shortly after she was shot. I contacted the head of the hospital where she was being treated and went to visit her. We started in early 2014 and followed Saba for a year. When we started, I wasn’t sure what would happen, but ultimately she “forgave” her father after being pressurised by village elders.
What was the biggest challenge while making the film?
Overcoming the community’s mindset. Violence against women is so acceptable in some areas, it is not thought of as a criminal activity. It was difficult to make connections and get family members and community leaders to trust us. When I met Saba’s father after he was arrested, I saw so much hatred in him. He felt it was his duty to protect his family from the “dishonour” Saba brought upon them by falling in love and getting married. It speaks volumes about the kinds of choices we women have in the world and how our lives are impacted by the decisions taken by others.
Does being a woman get in the way? Or does it help?
Pakistan is now officially one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Colleagues are routinely picked up by authorities, beaten and/or simply killed. But being a woman is more of an asset than a hindrance for my kind of filmmaking. I am able to work in communities that observe strict division based on gender, as I am able to speak with and film women.
Do you believe the law will change in your country?
After watching the movie, (Pakistani) prime minister Nawaz Sharif asked his team to redraft laws on honour killings to ensure that perpetrators are punished and victims are protected. The law, as it stands, considers honour killing an offence against the individual, hence the victim can choose to forgive the perpetrator. If the victim is killed, the victim’s family can forgive the perpetrator. The support we have received from the PM has been monumental in changing the mindset of society. The concept of killing for honour is often associated with Islam – but now, with the film and our campaign, the people of Pakistan are learning that it has nothing to do with our religion or culture.
What motivates you?
It alarms me that many women around the world are still struggling for basic rights. Being a social-justice filmmaker, I believe it is my job to make these voices heard.
What’s next?
I'm writing a book and working on a sequel to 3 Bahadur, Pakistan's first animated film, to inspire Pakistani children to become change-makers themselves. It will be released in December this year.
artslife@thenational.ae