'Saving Face'

Saving Face (Obaid-Chinoy/ Judge, 2012) a documentary about the acid attacks on woman that plagues modern Pakistan is one that I found very effective. The Documentary which explores the lives of two women living with the disfigurement caused by acid attacks is moving. It explores many of the issues that surround the issues in modern day Pakistan that lead to the high frequency of these attacks. It also does this in a way that I feel is not patronizing towards Pakistan or the victims, which is a trap that so easily have been fallen into. The way the documentary is put together subtly reveals some of the issues underlying that is causing the rise in attacks. Whereas it also states some of them clearly. One example is the issue of lacking education and illiteracy. Although in interviews stated this plainly, in a more subtle manner it is shown how this leads to ignorance and the sustaining of old, dangerous attitudes towards women. Something that I found particularly effective is the exposure of how prevalent Misogyny still is in some parts of Pakistan. This being one of the major problems that needs to be tackled in order to overcome this problem. The way they do this is to expose the attitudes to the victims from the outside world. Many are ridiculed for their disfigurement. There seems to be a general attitude that it is the Woman's fault, she is the one to be punished. Again this is made prevalent in interviews with the perpetrators and their families. There seems to be that there is never any admittance to the crime, but also that it is always something the woman has done to deserve this. It is made clear through the film that these women are innocent victims. It is this constant lying and contradiction which is a clever device used by the film makers in order to show why these attacks are continuing in the modern era. What is also a great strength of this film is its broad view point. It looks at many of the people that are involved with acid attacks and helping the victims. It is not solely about just the victims but the people who are helping them and also about how the law is changing in order to help these women get justice. I think that is why this documentary is so successful as it doesn't just look at the problem and tell the victims stories, it is showing the wider picture and what is changing and what still needs to change. They way in which the victims are portrayed is something I feel is a breath of fresh air. These Women are portrayed as strong individuals who are fighting for justice in a world that is against them. They are over coming what has happened to them and are able to get the justice they deserve. Although it is clear these women are victims, they are shown to not be weak but to come out of this fighting. The film shows how brutal the attacks on these women were and how they are victims. However it is a positive outcome, showing how women continue to fight for justice, how the law had changed to help then get it. It also shows how despite the disfigurement there are organisations and surgeons willing to give them the help they need in order to lead a more normal life after their traumatic experience.