In his presentation for Best Documentary Short Subject at the Oscars, Louis C.K. said the category is the only award that really has the opportunity to change a life. In the case of "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness," the film's win could change the lives of millions of women living in Pakistan and other countries that still recognize the legal sanctity of honor killings.
Producer and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy recognized Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in her acceptance speech on Sunday night for his vow to change the laws that allow families to murder their daughters in the name of "honor" and avoid punishment. Sharif made his promise after the Pakistani premiere of "A Girl in the River" attended by senior cabinet members and diplomats, according to The Guardian.
"This is totally against Islam and anyone who does this must be punished and punished severely," Sharif told The Guardian. "Changing the law is something that needs to be done at the earliest possibility."
The short documentary tells the story of Saba Qaiser, a young Pakistani woman who at age 18 was shot in the face by her father and uncle because she had run away to marry the man she loved. They then tied her up in a bag and threw her in a river in rural Punjab province. Qaiser escaped the bag, climbed out of the river and survived to tell her story.
"This is what happens when determined women get together," Obaid-Chinoy said about her Oscar win in her acceptance speech. She also thanked the "men who champion women... and push women to go to school and work and want a more just society for women."
Sharif's challenge to sharia laws will likely be met by tough opposition from religious conservatives who "regard the provisions as basic principles of retribution and forgiveness in Islam," according to The Wall Street Journal. Religious leaders in the country usually condemn the killings, but still support the tradition.
Nearly 1,000 Pakistani women are killed every year for "bringing shame" on their families," according to the women's campaign group the Aurat Foundation (via The Guardian).
