Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy made a powerful speech at the #Oscars last night, after winning the award for best documentary short. But rather than using the platform to gush thanks, Obaid-Chinoy took the chance to speak out about the topic of her film: #honourkillings.
The practice – where men kill their own female family members for ‘dishonouring’ them, typically by having relationships they disapprove of – is particularly common in Pakistan.
Obaid-Chinoy’s film A Girl In The River: The Price of Forgiveness shines a light on such killings. It tells the story of Saba Qaiser, a real young woman in Pakistan who survived attempted murder by her father and uncle after she married someone they felt ‘dishonoured’ the family.
Her film has garnered international attention, leading officials in Pakistan to promise they will work to end the illegal practice.
