Saving Face (2012 film)

Saving Face is a 2012 documentary film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daniel Junge about acid attacks on women in Pakistan. The film won an Emmy Award and the 2012 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject, making its director, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Pakistan's first Oscar winner.[2][3] The film was inspired from the life of acid victim Fakhra Younus, who committed suicide in 2012.

Saving Face
Film poster
Directed bySharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Daniel Junge
Produced by
StarringDr Mohammad Jawad
Music byGunnard Doboze
Edited byMilkhaus
Production
company
HBO Documentary Films
Distributed byHBO
Release date
  • 8 March 2012 (2012-03-08)
[1]
CountryUK/Pakistan
LanguageEnglish, Urdu

Synopsis

Saving Face features two women attacked by acid and their struggle for justice and healing.[4] It follows London-based Pakistani plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad[5][6][7] as he journeys to Pakistan to perform reconstructive surgery on survivors of acid violence.[8] Saving Face broaches the subject of the under-reporting of acid violence against women due to cultural and structural inequalities towards women from Pakistani men.[9] The Acid Survivors Foundation of Pakistan, which is featured in the film, had documented more than 100 acid attacks a year in Pakistan but estimates far more due to lack of reporting.

Obaid-Chinoy has stated that the film is "a positive story about Pakistan on two accounts: firstly, it portrays how a Pakistani-British doctor comes to treat them and it also discusses, in great depth, the parliament’s decision to pass a bill on acid violence".[10] She has said that the film assisted in the trial and conviction of one of the perpetrators of acid violence.[11]

Production

Obaid-Chinoy chose the subject of acid violence after being contacted by Junge, who had already filmed portions of the documentary prior to their discussion. Obaid-Chinoy commented to The Wall Street Journal that "The subject matter immediately appealed to me: Acid violence impacts women in southern Punjab and changes the lives of hundreds of women each year."[11] The documenters initially had some difficulty contacting and gaining the trust of the survivors in the film as well as connecting with the local community, but stated that "once we had spent a considerable amount of time on the ground and had established relationships, we did not experience any further obstacles."[12]

Controversy

Obaid-Chinoy has faced criticism over allegations that she promised acid victim Rukhsana assistance in the form of money, a new home, and plastic surgery in return for participating in the film. Rukhsana filed a lawsuit against Obaid-Chinoy that stated that the director made her sign blank documents and that the film resulted in her husband evicting her from her home and her family ceasing communication with her.[13] Obaid-Chinoy refuted the claims, replying that she did not promise Rukhsana any assistance and that Rukhsana had turned down offers to have Jawad operate upon her.[14] The Acid Survivors Foundation and Rukhsana filed a civil suit to keep Saving Face from being shown in Pakistan, to which Obaid-Chinoy agreed to honor despite having airing rights.[15]

Awards and nominations
Year Award-giving body Award Result
2012Academy AwardAcademy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject)Won
Emmy AwardBest DocumentaryWon
Outstanding Editing: Documentary and Long FormWon
Outstanding Science and Technology ProgrammingNominated
Outstanding Cinematography Documentary and Long FormNominated
Outstanding ResearchNominated
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See also
  • Fakhra Younus, an acid attack victim who committed suicide shortly after the film won an Oscar

References
  1. Sharmeen Obaid’s documentary ‘Saving Face’ nominated for Oscars Daily Times
  2. sharmeen-obaid-chinoy-is-pakistan%E2%80%99s-first-oscar-nominee.html Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is Pakistan’s first Oscar nominee Dawn.com
  3. Acclaimed Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and her film "Saving Face" officially nominated for Best Documentary, Short Subject for the prestigious Academy Awards Fashioncentral.pk
  4. A world of heartbreak — and hope — in Oscar short docs Washington Examiner
  5. Saving Face With Acid Attack Surgeon Mohammad Jawad huffingtonpost.co.uk
  6. Saving faces in Pakistan guardian.co.uk
  7. About Dr. Mohammad Jawad Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Aesthetics International Clinic
  8. Oscar nominated film features pioneering Pakistani surgeon Archived 15 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine Pakistan Observer
  9. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy dreams of Pakistan's first Oscar BBC
  10. First Pakistani documentary-maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy earns Oscar nomination Acid Survivors Pakistan
  11. ‘Saving Face’ Filmmaker on Shooting Documentaries in Pakistan
  12. Saving Face at the Oscars Express Tribune Blog
  13. Sharmeen Obaid did not fulfil promise of Rs3m, plastic surgery: Acid victim The Express Tribune
  14. Whose face are we trying to save? The Express Tribune
  15. Acid-attack survivor sues Sharmeen Obaid, filmmaker refutes claims Dawn.com

Further reading
  • Shackle, Samira (9 November 2012). "Acid attacks in Pakistan: A sorry litany of male egotism". New Statesman. Retrieved 22 December 2017. Interview with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy about the film.
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