The leap day this year became extraordinarily special for Pakistanis, as the Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy won the Oscar, the world’s most prestigious film award, at Los Angeles for the second time making everyone proud at home. Chinoy won the award for her short documentary The Girl in the River based on the life of a 18-years old survivor of an honor killing attempt.
Winning second Oscar made Sharmeen euphoric, as she started her acceptance speech with “I have another one!”.
She continued, “This is what happens when determined women get together. From Saba, the girl in my film who remarkably survived honor killing and shared her story, to Sheila Nevins, Lisa Heller from HBO and Tina Brown who supported me from day one. To the men who champion women, like Geof Bartz who has edited the film to Asad Faruqi, to my friend Ziad who brought this film to the government, to all the brave men out there like my father and husband who push women to go to school and work and who want a more just society for women!”
The #Oscar for Documentary Short goes to… pic.twitter.com/1dcwYjEwgs
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 29, 2016
Earlier this month the documentary was screened at the PM House, where the prime minister of Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif, promised to work on the legislation against the crime of honor killing. “This week the Pakistani PM said he would change the law on honor killing after watching this film – that is the power of film!”, Sharmeen concluded the speech.
She won first Oscar in the same category four years ago for the documentary Saving Face, voicing the victims of acid attacks in Pakistan. She also directed Pakistan’s first animated feature film 3 Bahadur which was very hit among children last year. The sequel of the film will be released towards the end of this year.
Many notable figures congratulated Chinoy for her victory, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“This is what happens when determined women get together.” Congratulations @SharmeenOChinoy on your #Oscars win!
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 29, 2016
We at Galaxy Lollywood are very happy for the filmmaker, as she achieved what many dream their whole life. She is truly an inspiration and we wish her best for the future endeavors.
