Pak director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy wins Oscar for honour killings movie

NEW DELHI: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who made history by winning Pakistan's first Oscar four years ago, has won the best documentary short Oscar for her film, "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness."

The 40-minute film tells the story of 19-year-old Saba who was beaten, shot and thrown into the river after she ran off to marry her fiance, whom her family initially accepted - and then decided was too poor.


Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Image: AP)
The 37-year-old filmmaker, who read about her ordeal one morning in the newspaper, tracked her down and filmed Saba's story over eight to nine months in 2014.

In Pakistan, a loophole in the law allows the perpetrators of so-called honour killings to get off scot-free if they are pardoned by their family.

Saba initially seeks a conviction, but eventually relents under the weight of pressure from her brother-in-law and community elders who say it is better to resolve enmity than let it fester.

Obaid-Chinoy wants to change that. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hosted a screening of the film in Islamabad last week and has promised to rid Pakistan of the crime by tightening up the legislation.

(With inputs from AFP)


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