DHAKA: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy (37) has made history as the only Pakistani to win two Oscars.

On Tuesday (March 1), she made headlines in Pakistan when her name was called at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, for best short subject documentary film of the year.

She walked up to the stage to accept the award, waved her Oscar triumphantly and said, ‘I have another one!’

The film, ‘A Girl in the River - The Price of Forgiveness’, highlights the issue of honor killings in Pakistan. It traces the story of an 18-year-old woman, Saba, who was shot by her relatives to redeem their family honor, and dumped into a river. She miraculously survived to tell her story.

The subject of honor killings is not discussed much in Pakistan - mainly because most of the crimes go unreported and the victims remain unknown.

This is why Obaid Chinoy chose it as the subject for her latest film.

In her acceptance speech, she said that after seeing the film, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to change the law on honor killings.

‘That is the power of film,’ she said.

BDST: 1253 HRS, MAR 01, 2016
RR