First Pakistani documentary-maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy earns Oscar nomination Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the renowned journalist and documentary maker, has become first Pakistani to earn an Oscar nomination with her film ‘Saving face’, which was named in the “Documentary-short film” category.

Obaid, who has documented numerous short films, won an Emmy award, back in 2010, for her documentary, ‘Pakistan Children of the Taliban’.
The documentary, ‘Saving Face’ is the story of two women from South Punjab who became victims of acid violence.

“It’s 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,” she had commented when her documentary was short-listed for nominations, back in October 2011.
According to the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill, the perpetrators of acid violence will be punished with imprisonment for life, and Obaid-Chinoy has captured that aspect in her latest project.

The documentary accounts the work of an acclaimed Pakistani-origin British plastic surgeon, Dr Muhammad Jawad, as he travels to Pakistan and performs reconstructive surgery on survivors of acid victims.

The writer has covered many stories ranging from child abuse, violence against women, terrorism and natural disasters.