Sharmeen’s win

Film can have an enormous impact. It already has with Pakistani documentary maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s short film, ‘Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness’, bringing in the second Oscar award for the director and instantly igniting a debate about ‘honour’ killings in the country, which each year claim hundreds of lives. The precise figure is unknown. Chinoy’s film told the harrowing story of Saba, a young woman who miraculously survived an attempt by her own father and other relatives to kill her for marrying against the will of her family. Having hauled herself out of the river into which she was thrown the victim initially attempted to have her would-be murderers convicted. However, she and her husband – from a lower social bracket – eventually succumb to pressure to forgive her family under controversial laws.

Chinoy had also won an Oscar for her 2012 film, ‘Saving Face’, on acid attacks against women. In her acceptance speech, she spoke in particular of men who defied custom by insuring their daughters received an education and were empowered. The nomination for the Oscar appeared to have already galvanised official machinery into action. Last week, the prime minister hosted a screening of the film at his residence in Islamabad and vowed to end the horror of such crimes against women. We hope that the message will now spread even further. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy deserves immense credit for her determination and skill at presenting controversial subjects before the public. Her beautifully shot film has moved audiences around the world. What is needed more than anything is for the issue of honour killings to be tackled on a state level. This is why the government and the people of this country must raise their voice against honour killings and ensure that other women are not shot and flung in the river as happened in the case of the main character in this short drama. There are too many such stories in Pakistan. Most end in tragedy. There is some hope, though, that the prime minister taking notice of this issue will lead to serious efforts towards ending this practice once and for all.