KARACHI: The first ever Oscar winner for Pakistan Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy on Saturday has called for the retrial of old acid throwing cases under the new laws.
Addressing a press conference here along with her team, the director and producer of short documentary “Saving Faces” that won the prestigious Academy Award last month, said the government should take stringent action against acid throwers and also regulate the sale of acid in the country.
Sharmeen also urged the government to provide protection to acid victims who can identify acid attackers.
She was of the opinion that acid throwing cannot be linked with our culture or traditions. This is a mindset, she added.
Expressing her feelings about the big achievement, Sharmeen said that it was a great feeling to receive the first ever Oscar for Pakistan. “It was the most incredible feeling ever,” she recalled and added that there was no other feeling that she could describe.
She said that when her team was heading toward the arena on red carpet, most people admired her Pakistani attire.
“It was a great feeling too that you are showing your clothes and culture and that you are showing this side of Pakistan which is often not seen by the world”, she noted.
Sharmeen said that she was proud to represent Pakistan at this giant and most prestigious event and wining an Oscar was yet another milestone.
She said when the name of her documentary was announced, she could not believe her ears. “When they were announcing the name, I though my heart stopped for a while. I thought was repeating the name of my documentary by myself. But when I saw my co-director Daniel Junge started walking towards podium, then I believed that we had won,”she opined.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy said that she made this documentary in 15 months, shooting the brave acid victims in three cities Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. These women were very brave, she added.
The honoured film maker said the basic message of this documentary was to show the world that Pakistan can resolve its issues at its own. The most adorable scene in the documentary is the passing of legislation against acid attacks in Pakistani National Assembly. Wherever we screened this documentary, this scene was responded with thunders of applause,” she remarked.
Earlier, on her arrival at Karachi Airport, the winner of golden statue was warmly greeted by lot of people including family members. She was presented a cake when came out of the aircraft.
In a brief chat with media, she said that Oscar has come to Pakistan and it’s great to be back at home.
