‘Pakistan producing strong enterprising women’

After winning the first Oscar for Pakistan, documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy gets up close and personal with us on her future plans, her family and more.
TNN: First Emmy and now Oscar, what’s next that we can look forward to from you?
Sharmeen: You can look forward to more storytelling! I am currently planning my next film whilst simultaneously producing an animated children’s show geared towards local audiences.
TNN: You have achieved so much in a society which is very chauvinistic and politically turbulent. Surely, the journey was not an easy one. Who egged you on and kept the fighter in you alive, despite so many negatives around?
Sharmeen: Interestingly, I have never encountered any gender-based hurdles whilst shooting in Pakistan. During filming, I have found that most people are eager to tell their stories and make their voices heard. Most of the time, people are so taken aback with my forthrightness that they treat me like a man! From a young age, my father instilled a sense of purpose in me, and motivated me to never take no for an answer; this motto continues to guide my career today.
TNN: How did you celebrate such an awesome achievement?
Sharmeen: My husband and I celebrated with the ‘Saving Face’ team in Los Angeles, but the real celebrations will begin when I return to my family in Karachi later this month!
TNN: There’s so much on the web about your work, but nothing much about your family. What role have they played in your success saga?
Sharmeen: My family has played a pivotal role in my career; my mother made sure that her daughters received the best of education and was very supportive of my journalistic aspirations. My father continues to serve as an inspiration for me, and I owe a formidable amount of my success to his guidance. I have been blessed with a very encouraging husband who has always pushed me to work harder and produce the best work that I can. My daughter, Amelia, is the reason why I make films; I want the Pakistan that she inherits to be better than the one that we currently live in.
TNN: Did you at any time feel like giving up your creative pursuits?
Sharmeen: Admittedly, there are times during everyone’s career when one feels overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted. I also felt like quitting at times. However, I find my inspiration in the subjects that I feature in my films. In the case of ‘Saving Face’, it was difficult to ignore the devastating realities that we were trying to explore. As a Pakistani woman, I struggled with accepting the fact that such atrocities happened in the country that I called home. I found comfort in the survivors that I met; their bravery and resilience motivated me to produce a film that best represented their incredible grace and spirit.
TNN: Along with your Oscar, there are many in India (I’m sure across the world too) who are going gushy over your glam looks too. Your reactions to these compliments?
Sharmeen: No comments!
TNN: You and Hina Rabbani have become the poised, intelligent and good-looking face of Pakistan. Does that make men insecure back home?
Sharmeen: I think it makes men in Pakistan recognise that our country is producing strong enterprising women!
TNN: Among the young Indian filmmakers, is there any whose work you admire?
Sharmeen: A couple of years ago, I watched ‘Luck by Chance’ and was completely blown away by Zoya Akhtar’s work. I loved the fact that the industry was willing to laugh at itself and deeply respected the aesthetics and punchy dialogue in the film. Over the past few decades, Bollywood has expanded to represent a multitude of voices, stories and points of view in India; it is truly inspiring to see the way our neighbours are growing and achieving incredible things!
TNN: When a filmmaker is showcasing his/her work at Oscars, how important is glamour and networking in the process?
Sharmeen: It depends on the filmmaker; for many people, the Oscars is an ideal gathering for networking and making connections for future projects, for others it is an opportunity to share one’s ideas with people who have similar passions and aspirations. For me, I wanted the Academy Awards to further the cause highlighted in ‘Saving Face’ and to act as a platform through which the message could be projected. I also wanted to represent another aspect of Pakistan; one that takes ownership of its faults and celebrates those who are fighting for justice through a creative medium.