For the past week, the press has been going wild with Oscar fever, and who can blame them? The last time Pakistan basked in the glory of prestige unlike any other was when Imran Khan lifted the Cricket World Cup crystal globe in 1992.
On February 26, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy lifted the Oscar for the Best Documentary (Short) Award. In her acceptance speech, she said “I want to dedicate this award to all the heroes working on the ground in Pakistan, including Dr. Mohammad Jawad, the plastic surgeon who has been working for rehabilitating these women, Rukhsana and Zakiya who are our main subjects of the film, whose resilience and bravery in the face of such adversity is admirable, and to all the women in Pakistan who are working for change. Do not give up on your dreams.”
It was a speech many in the crowd felt—the camera zoomed in on Sandra Bullock holding back tears before clapping—and afterwards at the Vanity Fair after-party, Sharmeen said people such as producer Harvey Weinstein and actress Cameron Diaz came to tell her how the speech had touched them.
For Daniel Junge, the co-filmmaker of Saving Face, it was the second time at the Oscars, and he graciously let “the Pakistani on stage do the speaking.” Daniel was nominated in 2010 for another documentary short, The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner, which followed an assisted suicide ballot initiative in Washington. Saving Face was the first time he had won.|In an interview, he said “The only two things that I do well in the world are photography and writing. And they both dovetail quite nicely into filmmaking.” Junge said the Oscar would throw both filmmakers into the global spotlight for awhile, but documentary filmmakers—unlike A-list movie stars—soon fade back into the relative anonymity of their work.
For the time being, and in Pakistan at least, they are the darlings of the present—Sharmeen is bordering on becoming a national hero with Prime Minister Gilani announcing that she will be awarded Pakistan’s highest civilian award.
Now Sharmeen plans to dub Saving Face in Urdu (and possibly Seraiki) and screen it at theatres across Pakistan. She has also launched a campaign (after winning the Oscar) to help eliminate the practice of acid-attacks. In conversation with the AFP, she said, “The campaign is mainly aimed at making our society more humane and better to live. It is to help and remedy those who are victims of such brutality and injustice.”
Sharmeen, who teaches documentary filmmaking at the Szabist, wants to continue inspiring young filmmakers to make films and documentaries.
On Oscar night, Sharmeen had been tweeting regularly, from cheering Iran’s win in the Best Foreign Language Film category to being anxious about her turn. The best tweet from her side though was after the event and her night ended, “Good night #Pakistan everyone after the #oscars came and said good things about my country 2 me! Jinnah would have been proud!”
As are we, of one of our own.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Images on Sunday: It is a big achievement for a filmmaker, who has never been nominated at the Academy Awards, to bag an Oscar on the first try.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: To be honest, I still have not completely processed it. I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to work with such a brilliant team, as well as the courageous Pakistanis who were the subjects of the film. I am not in a position to know what it is that made Saving Face the winner, yet knowing that our competition had put forward work of a very high standard with compelling stories, has left me feeling truly grateful and thankful.
IoS: Some of the other nominations in Best Documentary—Short were either based on personal accounts or sports-related topics; yours directly addressed the plight of women in Pakistan. Do you think that had any bearing on the final win?
SOC: I disagree. The other films showcased hard-hitting content that ranged from the pursuit of civil rights and the impact of war and the devastation caused by national disasters. Before anything else, Saving Face is about the process of recovery and the pursuit of justice; themes that are present in other films that were nominated with it.
IoS: After rubbing shoulders with the filmmaking elite, Oscar winners and others, what sort of feedback have you gotten about Saving Face?
SOC: Saving Face has received tremendous feedback. Many people came up to me after the ceremony and spoke very highly of Pakistan and its people. They acknowledged the courage and determination of Rukhsana and Zakia, the acid survivors who fought for justice in the film.
Many expressed the opinion that those who fight for the rights of the marginalised in complex circumstances like those found in Pakistan ought to be admired and celebrated all the more. It was a moment of immense pride for me as I felt that the work of many unsung heroes was finally being appreciated on a large scale.
IoS: What do you think your win is going to do for acid-burn victims in Pakistan?
SOC: Our partner during the shooting of Saving Face, the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) has already witnessed an inundation of inquiries since the ceremony. Valerie Khan at ASF was instrumental in the production of Saving Face, and the organisation was very generous in sharing their resources and helping us connect with survivors. A countless number of people have also written to us offering their help and they will be redirected to ASF as well as Acid Survivors Trust International, Islamic Help and Virtue Foundation.
IoS: How did you meet Dr. Muhammad Jawad?
SOC: Daniel Junge contacted Dr. Muhammad Jawad after hearing him speak on the radio about the surgery he performed on Katie Piper, a British model who was the victim of an acid attack. It was when he learned about the work that he does with acid survivors in Pakistan that Daniel was inspired to make Saving Face. He then approached me to join his team.
IoS: Can you elaborate a bit on the act of legislation featured in the documentary?
SOC: The Parliament and Senate unanimously passed the historic Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill while we were filming Saving Face. Marvi Memon and Farahnaz Ispahani were amongst the strong female Parliamentarians who pushed for the bill which serves as a landmark in the history of women’s rights in Pakistan. Previously, no legislation existed for acid violence but now for the first time the attackers will be aware that they are doing something that is punishable by law. In fact, the punishment that has been allotted for acid violence goes up to life imprisonment.
IoS: How many people were involved in the project, Pakistanis and those from other countries?
SOC: There were about 15 people involved Saving Face, it was a mixed team of both Pakistani nationals and those from other countries.
IoS: What do you plan to do once you are back in Pakistan?
SOC: I will be preparing for the release of Saving Face when I am back in Pakistan. We are planning an educational outreach tour to spread awareness about the impact of acid violence. We intend to use the film as a medium through which to promote dialogue, engagement and change.
IoS: This is a huge step for filmmaking in Pakistan. How do you think it’s going to affect it?
SOC: I hope that this success will make local TV channels and production houses realise the value of documentary filmmaking and non-fiction story telling. I hope it will show budding filmmakers that they too can achieve great things if they work hard and persevere; that where you come from is irrelevant. I will continue to mentor my team at SOC Films and encourage Pakistani film students to pursue their dreams.
IoS: A Livingston award, an Emmy in 2010 and now an Oscar. What’s next?
SOC: I would love to submit my films to film festivals such as Sundance and the Cannes Film Festival.
IoS: This year both Iran and Pakistan won the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Documentary (Short Subject), respectively. What do you make of it?
SOC: It was invigorating to see Iran and Pakistan represented at the 84th Academy Awards. It just goes to show that the arts transcend all barriers, including that of politics. I respect the Academy for giving filmmakers from lesser known film industries the opportunity to showcase their work and introduce it to a larger audience.