Schema Magazine

Film-maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has broke historical ground in Pakistan as the first Pakistani to win an Oscar nomination for best documentary in the short subject category.

Her documentary, Saving Face, discusses the social problem of acid attacks on girls and women in Pakistan. The film follows Dr. Mohammad Jawad's work in Pakistan. Dr. Jawad, a British-Pakistani plastic surgeon, works with ASTI, the Acid Survivor's Trust International, a charity set up to help and assist victims of acid attacks all over the world, from the UK to Nepal and Bangladesh.

The documentary takes us around Pakistan as he performs reconstructive surgery on victims of acid attacks. Saving Face is an account of such violence told by survivors going through the recovery and reconciliation process.

In a statement to the BBC she said that she was "speechless" to receive the nomination, which was the "stuff dreams are made of...It has reaffirmed my belief it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, if you put quality work out there, it will be appreciated. I hope I can make Pakistan proud by bringing home an Oscar."

Obaid-Chinoy is no stranger to documentary-making. Her work is focused on social justice and encompasses a wide array of subjects such as the Taliban, violence against women, homosexuality, child abuse and natural disasters.

Best of luck to Saving Face!