Saving Face

Film phase:Completed

SYNOPSIS

Recently honored with a Best Documentary Short Oscar®, Saving Face chronicles the lives of acid-attack survivors Zakia and Rukhsana as they attempt to bring their assailants to justice and move on with their lives. The women are supported by NGOs, sympathetic policymakers, and skilled doctors, including Islamic Help; plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who returns to his home country to assist them; attorney Ms. Sarkar Abbass, who fights Zakia’s case; and female politician Marvi Memon, who advocates for new legislation.

 

 

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS

Saving Face is co-directed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and Daniel Junge.

 

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy looks away from the camera, with her mouth semi-open. Portrait in black and white.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is an Emmy® and Academy Award®-winning documentary filmmaker. She has worked in over ten countries to produce internationally acclaimed films including Pakistan’s Taliban Generation, which is the recipient of the Alfred I Dupont Award and the Association for International Broadcasting award.

 

Daniel Junge looks at the camera and smiles. Portrait in black and white.Daniel Junge’s first feature-length film, Chiefs, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Tribeca Film Festival and broadcast nationally on PBS. His subsequent feature, Iron Ladies of Liberia, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and aired on over 50 broadcasters worldwide including PBS and the BBC.

 

 

NOW PLAYING

Saving Face has screened for policymakers and NGO leaders, including the UN Trust Fund, U.S. State Department, Department for International Development in the U.K., the United States Institute of Peace, and Pakistani and American consulates around the world. It has been broadcast in 36 countries, including 22 in the Arab world, and received major ratings in both the U.S. (HBO) and U.K. (Channel 4). Continuing broadcasts, paired with outreach activities, focus on countries most affected by acid violence such as India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.  In addition, the filmmakers are developing several impact projects in Pakistan in partnership with NGO Islamic Help, including a public service announcement campaign, livelihood support, and an unprecedented training program for Pakistani imams.