March 09 , 2012
Sharmeen Chinoy’s Oscar Win a Cause Celebre for Pakistan
The 33-year old Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a Pakistani-Canadian, who won an Oscar for the best short documentary film, in the ceremony on February 26, 2012, is by any standard a remarkable person. She is remarkable because she combines high attainments with exceptional modesty; she is anguished over the living deaths of the women permanently disfigured by their acid-throwing relations, but advocates neither hatred, nor revenge. Instead of drawing attention to her personal difficulties in filming the sensitive subject, she elected to ignore the hurdles and dedicate the award to the people of Pakistan, particularly the subjects of the film and those working to fight against the abuse of women …“to all the women in Pakistan who are working for change; don’t give up on your dreams. This (the award) is for you”.
“I am proud to be representing Pakistan on such a prestigious platform and I hope that I am the first of many Pakistanis to do so”, Sharmeen told Asia Society a few days before the ceremony. Indeed, the award is a cause celebre for the Pakistanis at home or abroad.
Acid violence is most prevalent in the Seraiki belt in Southern Punjab, a cotton-growing region in which acid is readily available for use in the fields. The area has the lowest level of education and highest level of unemployment in the country, and this has resulted in a culture that has over time come to accept certain forms of violence against women.
Acid attacks generally occur in South Asia, with some cases recorded in Cuba and Cambodia.
Sharmeen Chinoy, an investigative journalist and visual storyteller, has claimed in an interview: “I made ‘Saving Face’ so that it could be used as an educational tool to spread awareness and promote dialogue. Zakia and Rukhsana, the two main characters in the film are inspiring women who have shown grace and bravery when faced with unimaginable circumstances. Their narratives will engage the audiences and hopefully bring light to this issue.”
Over the past ten years since she started making documentary films, she has produced 16 films all of which have secured various awards, including an International Emmy for ‘Pakistan’s Taliban Generation’. This was the first Emmy for a Pakistani film.
The 52-minute film ‘Saving Face’ was her first entry for an Academy award, and it has won that trophy in a tough competition against four other well-acclaimed documentaries.
The film brings to life the terrible tragedy of acid attacks in Pakistan, following the story of two attack survivors and the British-Pakistani plastic surgeon, Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who reconstructs the disfigured faces and gives the victims hope and renewed courage to live.
Acid attacks have disfigured the faces of numerous victims in southern Punjab, many of whom are girls in their teens or early twenties. The effects of the attacks include the charring of facial or bodily tissue including at times the dissolving of the facial bones. It has caused blindness in several cases. Above all the physical injuries, is the deep psychological effects of such attacks. Some victims have even committed suicide.
“Saving Face’ is not her first film in which she has tackled human rights abuses in countries plagued by violent patriarchy. She has previously documented crimes against oppressed women of Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. She is likely to produce more films in this genre. It is a genuine problem and will continue attracting attention of all persons of conscience and sensitivity.
In Pakistan several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are already working for the eradication of such evils. The Acid Survivors Foundation is one such body. Dr. Jawad, featured in Sharmeen’s documentary, is associated with this organization. Another eminent body is called “Aurat Foundation”.
Agitations of such setups, particularly the Acid Survivors Foundation, were instrumental in the passage of a law in May, 2011 laying down stricter penalties for perpetrators of acid attacks. If found guilty of such a heinous act, a person may get a 14 year prison sentence as well as a fine of one million rupees. The law was passed unanimously reflecting the consensus in the country over such revolting acts.
Patriarchy and male domination are fast yielding place in Pakistan to a recognition of the rights of women socially and legally. The society has adopted positive discrimination in favor of women to rectify the distortions. It is one of the very few polities where seats for women are reserved in both the federal and provincial assemblies.
Credit for this goes largely to agitations of women, TV channels’ vehement support to them, projection of the issues through various other media - Sharmeen’s films playing a leading role in this. Above all else, women’s excellence in all the fields that they have entered make out a strong case for their claims. College enrolments show a domination of girl students.
Parents too are encouraging their daughters to be confident and compete on the basis of equality with the boys.
Sharmeen, for instance, was brought up in Karachi by her parents in an environment where education and achievement were prized. She was the first in her family to be allowed to attend Grammar School, a co-ed prestigious institution. For college education she went to the preeminent Smith’s College, 90 miles from Boston. It is an all-female college. After graduation, she attended the Stanford University in California from where she secured two Master’s degrees. On return to Pakistan, she married Fahd Chinoy, an investment banker. They moved to Canada and settled in an area of greater Toronto. She has received Canadian nationality and is a dual citizen. She divides her time between Karachi and Toronto. But, she appears more committed to the people of Pakistan and the solutions of their problems, perhaps because her impressionable age was spent in Karachi and she had a privileged upbringing.
No wonder she dedicated the Academy award to the people of Pakistan, particularly the women, and Pakistanis have reciprocated by showering on her encomiums and brimming with genuine delight at the outstanding achievement of one of their daughters. The Prime Minister of the country has announced the grant of a high civil award to her.
Hearty congratulations, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: we are all proud of you.
Arifsyedhussaini@Gmail.com 714-345-2654
