Saving Face Wins Academy Award for Documentary Short

Last night at the 84th Academy Awards, a documentary called “Saving Face” took home an Oscar for best documentary short.

The film is about women in Pakistan who survived acid attacks. With the help of a plastic surgeon, they are now moving on with their lives. Most women who experience this type of trauma aren’t as lucky. According to the film, more than 100 acid attacks occur every year, and the majority are perpetrated against women.

To make matters worse, they have little or no access to reconstructive surgeons who can repair the damage. While the victims are emotionally traumatized and physically scarred, their assailants receive minimal punishment.

Saving Face documents the stories of Zakia and Rukhsana, two acid-attack survivors who are seeking justice. Meanwhile, they undergo reconstructive surgery with a plastic surgeon named Dr. Mohammad Jawad. The film sheds light on the situation of Pakistani women who are struggling against a vexing issue.

The film was directed by filmmaker Daniel Junge and Pakistani director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who were both present to receive the Oscar. Saving Face will be broadcast internationally in 2012, beginning with HBO in North America.