Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy won an Oscar at 2012 Academ Awards for Saving Face (2012).She is the first Pakistani national to win an Oscar.Saving Face was nominated in Best Documentary, Short Subjects category.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is an Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker. Her films include PAKISTAN’S TALIBAN GENERATION, which aired on PBS, Channel 4, CBC, SBS and Arte and was the recipient of the Alfred I Dupont Award as well as The Association for International Broadcasting award. Sharmeen has made over a dozen-multi award winning films in over 10 countries around the world and is the first non-American to be awarded the Livingston Award for best international reporting.
In 2007, Sharmeen was awarded the broadcast journalist of the year award in the UK by One World Media for her work in a series of documentary films for Channel 4, which included a film about xenophobia in South Africa THE NEW APARTHEID. Her other films have been awarded The Overseas Press Club Award, The American Women in Radio and Television Award, The Cine Golden Eagle award and the Banff Rockie Award.
Sharmeen was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan and received a bachelors degree from Smith College and went on to complete two masters degree from Stanford University.
Obaid began her career with New York Times Television in 2002 where she produced Terror's Children, a film about Afghan refugee children, which won her the Overseas Press Club Award, the American Women and Radio and Television Award, and the South Asian Journalist Association Award.[6] Since then, she has produced and reported on more than twelve films around the world.
Obaid produced and reported on four multi-award winning documentary films for New York Times Television. In 2003, Reinventing the Taliban was awarded the Special Jury Award at the BANFF TV festival in Canada, the CINE Golden Eagle Award, the American Women in Radio and Television award, and the Livingston Award.[6] In 2005, her film Women of the Holy Kingdom, which provided an inside look at the women's movement in Saudi Arabia, won the South Asian Journalist Association Award.[6]
In 2005, Obaid began working with Channel 4 in the United Kingdom reporting on four films for their Unreported World series. Pakistan's Double Game looked at sectarian violence in Pakistan, City of Guilt explored the Catholic Church's pro-life movement in the Philippines, The New Apartheid looked into growing xenophobia in South Africa, and Birth of a Nation delved into the politics of East Timor. In 2007, Obaid was named "journalist of the year" by the One World Media awards for her work in the series.
In 2007, Obaid travelled to Afghanistan and reported for Channel 4 and CNN. Her film, Afghanistan Unveiled/Lifting the Veil, focuses on stalled reconstruction and the repression of women in the country.
In 2010, she won an Emmy Award for her documentary, Pakistan: Children of the Taliban, which explores Taliban recruitment strategies, their effect on the youth and their methods to radicalize the country’s young and often dejected populace.[2] Children of the Taliban premiered FiLums (2011) - the largest film festival in Pakistan held annually at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.
http://sharmeenobaidfilms.com/
Pakistan celebrates its first Oscar nod
NBC’s Pakistan chief correspondent Amna Nawaz reports on the significance of the first Academy Award nod for Pakistan, for Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s “Saving Face.”
>>> are just three days away and stars like brad pitt and george clooney aren’t the only ones preparing for the big night . so is pakistan ‘s first-ever oscar -nominated filmmaker. nbc has the story. it’s a great story.
>> it is, her name is sharmine chenoy, her film called ” saving face ” an hbo documentary could win pakistan its first-ever oscar . as she says, it’s the stuff that dreams are made of.
>> i fell in love the first time we put the cameras on. it was because i could see the colors, the textures, the language. the beauty and the heartache could just transcend all barriers.
>> for filmmaker sharmaine, it was a love discovered while studying and working in the u.s. one which led her home to pakistan . you were doing the same work in the states, why come back after being gone for more than a decade?
>> because people like myself, we need to come back to pakistan and we need to give back to the country. because if all the educated people leave this country, then what’s going to become of it?
>> the 33-year-old has since devoted the last decade to documenting the lives of pakistan ‘s most vulnerable. shaping and sharing their stories with the rest of the world on a mission for hope.
>> i can see that we can solve these problems. that’s the hardest part. knowing that we can overcome them and not being able to, because of the society we live in.
>> in the last few years, there’s been enormous growth in the pakistani news media. the same, however, cannot be said for documentary filmmaking here. which means there are very few people taking an in-depth look at some of the tough issues that face this country. she broke barriers with her 2008 film. investigating the recruitment of child suicide bombers . the film earned her a prestigious emmy award .
>> the win, however, was bittersweet. on the same day that she landed in new york to accept the reward, back home in karachi, her ailing father suddenly died.
>> the most incredible part of that was that the day before he passed away , i spoke to him and he said, i saw you, you won the emmy. and i said, no, it’s tomorrow. i haven’t gone yet. and he said, no, i know you won it.
>> now, four years later, she is poised to make history with her latest work. an oscar -nominated documentary chronicling the journey of acid attack victims in pakistan and the doctor working to help them. speaking foreign language ]
>> co-directed with a film maker, the film will debut on hbo on march 8 and a win at this year’s academy award would bring pakistan its first-ever oscar . a milestone that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the nation’s press and population.
>> the oscar is the award. not just another award. i think for me, it’s become even bigger now. that i see the hope in the eyes of so many different pakistanis.
>> and it’s that hope, she says, that keeps her going. focus on the trend she wants to see for the next generation, including her daughter, amelia.
>> i think about the issues that i need to bring forward. so that her life will be different. you know, ten, 15 years from now when she’s growing up and i hope that there’s so many more stories to tell.
>> she says that she hopes she can make pakistan proud by bringing home an oscar . but regardless of what the sunday brings, win or lose , it is her commitment to highlighting the tough issues in her country that’s already caught the attention of the world. carl?
>> great story, thank you.
Meet the Oscar Nominated Filmmakers: Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy--'Saving Face'
Over the next few weeks, we at IDA will be introducing our
community to the films that have been honored by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences with an Oscar® nomination. You can see Saving Face at DocuDay LA
on Saturday, February 25 at the Writers Guild of America Theater, with
filmmakers Daniel Junge, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and Davis Coombe and
subject Dr. Jawad in person.
Synopsis: Every year in Pakistan, at least 100 people are victimized by brutal acid attacks. The majority of these are women, and many more cases go unreported. With little or no access to reconstructive surgery, survivors are physically and emotionally scarred, while many reported assailants - typically a husband or someone close to the victim - are let go with minimal punishment from the state.
Saving Face tells the stories of two acid-attack survivors: Zakia and Rukhsana, their arduous attempts to bring their assailants to justice, and the charitable work of London-based, Pakistani-born plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who strives to help these women put this horrific act behind them and move on with their lives. Saving Face also highlights the efforts of the women across Pakistani society that are making efforts to help this vexing issue and the changes that occur from their efforts. Directed by Oscar® and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Daniel Junge and Emmy®-winning Pakistani director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Saving Face is an intimate look inside Pakistani society, illuminating each women's personal journey while showing how reformers are tackling this vexing problem.
International Documentary Association: How did you get started in documentary filmmaking?
Daniel Junge: I got the documentary bug learning from George Stoney at NYU, but worked in the narrative film industry for a number of years before gravitating to London where I started doing documentary work. From there I researched and organized my first feature documentary in my home state of Wyoming.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy: I began my career as an investigative print journalist in my hometown, Karachi. I continued to write for local publications in the US and Canada during my undergraduate career at Smith College. During my time at Smith, the tragic events of September 11th took place, and I recognized that journalists who were familiar with the region needed to report out of Afghanistan and Pakistan as they recognized the political and cultural contexts of the two nations. I then chose to transition to film as I felt it was a visceral medium that promoted audience engagement and dialogue.
IDA: When were you first made aware of the increase in acid burnings in Pakistan?
SOC: Currently, there are over a hundred cases of acid violence reported in Pakistan annually. It is estimated that the real figures are much higher. Although I had always been aware of the fact that acid assaults existed in Pakistan, I had not had the opportunity to meet with survivors or engage with relevant organizations. When Daniel spoke with me about the initial concept behind Saving Face, I was immediately struck by the urgency of this situation, and felt compelled to do my part in not only projecting the issue but also giving due credit to those who were effectively working against it. Saving Face is meant to serve as an educational tool that prompts communities to recognize the prevalence of acid violence and foster communication on this issue.
IDA: How did you find the plastic surgeon that was doing this reconstructive work for women victims?
DJ: I heard Dr. Jawad on BBC Radio discussing his patient Katie Piper, the aspiring model attacked by acid in London. When I heard his name, I called him up out of the blue and asked if he knew about the incidence of acid attacks in South Asia and the Muslim world, to which he replied, "Know about it? I'm working with them in my home country of Pakistan." The adventure began.
IDA: How did your vision change over the course of the filmmaking process?
DJ: We always knew Dr. Jawad would be the center of the film and a vehicle to tell the stories of different survivors. But we were really struck by two of the women's stories and their courage in opening up to our cameras. They, in essence, are the heroes of the film and Dr. Jawad became the connective fiber for their stories.
IDA: What were some of the obstacles that you encountered when making this film?
SOC: A vast majority of acid violence cases are found in the Seraiki belt, a cotton-growing region that has some of the highest levels of poverty and lowest levels of education in all of Pakistan. Acid is widely available there as it is used in cotton fields. These factors, coupled with cultures that condone violence against women, have contributed to the underreported nature of acid violence.
As a film crew, we were initially met with skepticism in local communities, and we struggled to battle against the mindset that existed there. However, once we settled into the towns and made connections we did not face any further obstacles.
As a director, I had to train myself to not get overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of injustice and violence found in the narratives behind Saving Face. It is one thing to hear about acid violence or read an article about it, and another to spend long periods of time with survivors as they slowly rebuild their lives. Zakia and Rukhsana's determination was contagious; I was incredibly inspired by their stories and am honored to have the opportunity to share their stories with a wider audience.
IDA: As you've screened this film, how have audiences reacted? What has been most surprising or unexpected about their reaction?
DJ: We have yet to see it front of a live audience. We raced to qualify the film for the Oscars this year and were not able to attend the qualifying screenings. We now have a number of global screenings and our HBO broadcast, so we're really looking forward to seeing how audiences react.
IDA: What documentaries or documentary filmmakers have served as inspiration for you?
SOC: I deeply admire James Longley's film Iraq In Fragments. Shot, directed and edited beautifully, this film tells the story of Iraq during the conflict in a unique and awe inspiring manner. It humanizes a conflict by telling an alternative story than the one that we have grown used to; one in which things are more complex than the basic good guy bad guy binary. I was impressed by the honesty and integrity in the film, and was inspired by the treatment of the Iraq war in it.
Saving Face is screening at DocuDay LA at the Writers Guild of America Theater and at DocuDay NY at the Paley Center for Media as part of IDA's program of 2012 Oscar®-nominated films.
Synopsis: Every year in Pakistan, at least 100 people are victimized by brutal acid attacks. The majority of these are women, and many more cases go unreported. With little or no access to reconstructive surgery, survivors are physically and emotionally scarred, while many reported assailants - typically a husband or someone close to the victim - are let go with minimal punishment from the state.
Saving Face tells the stories of two acid-attack survivors: Zakia and Rukhsana, their arduous attempts to bring their assailants to justice, and the charitable work of London-based, Pakistani-born plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who strives to help these women put this horrific act behind them and move on with their lives. Saving Face also highlights the efforts of the women across Pakistani society that are making efforts to help this vexing issue and the changes that occur from their efforts. Directed by Oscar® and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Daniel Junge and Emmy®-winning Pakistani director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Saving Face is an intimate look inside Pakistani society, illuminating each women's personal journey while showing how reformers are tackling this vexing problem.
International Documentary Association: How did you get started in documentary filmmaking?
Daniel Junge: I got the documentary bug learning from George Stoney at NYU, but worked in the narrative film industry for a number of years before gravitating to London where I started doing documentary work. From there I researched and organized my first feature documentary in my home state of Wyoming.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy: I began my career as an investigative print journalist in my hometown, Karachi. I continued to write for local publications in the US and Canada during my undergraduate career at Smith College. During my time at Smith, the tragic events of September 11th took place, and I recognized that journalists who were familiar with the region needed to report out of Afghanistan and Pakistan as they recognized the political and cultural contexts of the two nations. I then chose to transition to film as I felt it was a visceral medium that promoted audience engagement and dialogue.
Zakia (L) and Dr. Mohammad Jawad (R) Saving Face. Photo taken by Asad Faruqi / HBO
IDA: When were you first made aware of the increase in acid burnings in Pakistan?
SOC: Currently, there are over a hundred cases of acid violence reported in Pakistan annually. It is estimated that the real figures are much higher. Although I had always been aware of the fact that acid assaults existed in Pakistan, I had not had the opportunity to meet with survivors or engage with relevant organizations. When Daniel spoke with me about the initial concept behind Saving Face, I was immediately struck by the urgency of this situation, and felt compelled to do my part in not only projecting the issue but also giving due credit to those who were effectively working against it. Saving Face is meant to serve as an educational tool that prompts communities to recognize the prevalence of acid violence and foster communication on this issue.
IDA: How did you find the plastic surgeon that was doing this reconstructive work for women victims?
DJ: I heard Dr. Jawad on BBC Radio discussing his patient Katie Piper, the aspiring model attacked by acid in London. When I heard his name, I called him up out of the blue and asked if he knew about the incidence of acid attacks in South Asia and the Muslim world, to which he replied, "Know about it? I'm working with them in my home country of Pakistan." The adventure began.
IDA: How did your vision change over the course of the filmmaking process?
DJ: We always knew Dr. Jawad would be the center of the film and a vehicle to tell the stories of different survivors. But we were really struck by two of the women's stories and their courage in opening up to our cameras. They, in essence, are the heroes of the film and Dr. Jawad became the connective fiber for their stories.
Saving Face: Rukhsana. Photo Credit: Photo taken by Asad Faruqi/ HBO
IDA: What were some of the obstacles that you encountered when making this film?
SOC: A vast majority of acid violence cases are found in the Seraiki belt, a cotton-growing region that has some of the highest levels of poverty and lowest levels of education in all of Pakistan. Acid is widely available there as it is used in cotton fields. These factors, coupled with cultures that condone violence against women, have contributed to the underreported nature of acid violence.
As a film crew, we were initially met with skepticism in local communities, and we struggled to battle against the mindset that existed there. However, once we settled into the towns and made connections we did not face any further obstacles.
As a director, I had to train myself to not get overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of injustice and violence found in the narratives behind Saving Face. It is one thing to hear about acid violence or read an article about it, and another to spend long periods of time with survivors as they slowly rebuild their lives. Zakia and Rukhsana's determination was contagious; I was incredibly inspired by their stories and am honored to have the opportunity to share their stories with a wider audience.
IDA: As you've screened this film, how have audiences reacted? What has been most surprising or unexpected about their reaction?
DJ: We have yet to see it front of a live audience. We raced to qualify the film for the Oscars this year and were not able to attend the qualifying screenings. We now have a number of global screenings and our HBO broadcast, so we're really looking forward to seeing how audiences react.
IDA: What documentaries or documentary filmmakers have served as inspiration for you?
SOC: I deeply admire James Longley's film Iraq In Fragments. Shot, directed and edited beautifully, this film tells the story of Iraq during the conflict in a unique and awe inspiring manner. It humanizes a conflict by telling an alternative story than the one that we have grown used to; one in which things are more complex than the basic good guy bad guy binary. I was impressed by the honesty and integrity in the film, and was inspired by the treatment of the Iraq war in it.
Saving Face is screening at DocuDay LA at the Writers Guild of America Theater and at DocuDay NY at the Paley Center for Media as part of IDA's program of 2012 Oscar®-nominated films.
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