Discussion on Academy Award winning documentary: "A Girl in the River" by Sharmee

Hello readers,

         This blog is about my response on online discussion on Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Academy Award for her documentary, A Girl in the River.

 Click here to show review artical of this documentary. On that whole discussion is based. How far can you agree or disagree with the views expressed in this article? Cultural Studies and Postcolonialism

     

 This short film is based on striking the issues of honour killing killing , and injustice happens with the women in Pakistan.  She was awarded because of  showing the ugly reality of the Pakistanis women and their struggle, instead of showing their goody goody and positive image she strikes on the darker shades of the women life which are double marginalized in the not only in Pakistan but also in India. "Literature as a mirror of society" or x-ray image, or photocopy of the society, its function to shows the reality rather then Utopian world. Its reflects on what the society is, how its works, and how society is dealing with the people,  as in that case the writer and Author has to capture the human condition and their truth in the literature/ film.  like Sharmeen Julian Barnes, Arvind Adiga are the writer who success to capture the X-ray image (Ugly image, Negative image ) of their society,  they also got noble prize not for showing the Bright side of the society but for showing the Darker shades of the humans. I am absolutely agree in the choice of  materials of the writer or artist. Its their choice for what to portrayed and how to portrayed.

Another Disagreement point is of  The buzz around Sharmeen’s film has prompted Nawaz Sharif to say that the practice of honour killings in Pakistan should come to an end,

As a film maker or artist/ Writer their job is only putting the things in front of the society, in front of the people not to artists, academics and activists are not propagandists in the service of the state. Their job is not to sell shiny, happy images of their country to the rest of the world, however far they may be from reality. Their purpose is to tell the truth, however inconvenient, however uncomfortable, however shameful. What subject or cause they pick is entirely their own business. We can take issue with them about the authenticity of their work, its quality, its effectiveness, but we don’t have the right to question their choice of material.

An Indian film 'NH10' directed by Navdeep Singh.

 which similarly striking the same issue of honor killing of girls in name of  fake Image. A girl who killed and murder by their family members on the issue of "Love marriage"

So this kinds of the choice of materials are upon on the artist not their work to prevent and rebel against these kinds of acts and problems.

I am also disagree with the Postcolonial views about  "other" or ' orient'
 Every Artist and Film maker deeply desire  for they winning award like Oscar, and any other which given by the foreign countries or by the First world countries, which is not right.

Another thing is that filmmaker or artist are trying to show goody goody and positive image about their country to the others, not think about the morals and their function towards their country.
I am agree with the views on postcolonial context that how we wants to show our image and how they interpreted is

For the truth is that the very people who rail against western approbation, actually crave it. Why else would they demand that only ‘positive’ images be projected to that audience? In fact nothing thrills us more than winning prizes in the UK and the US. It validates us in ways that domestic attention just does not. I’ve seen excellent books by desi authors languish unnoticed in shops in both India and Pakistan. Until they win a major prize in the West. Then they fly off the shelves.

Of course western interest can be narrow in its focus and agenda driven. But whose is not? Instead of frothing with self-righteous rage or manufacturing hysterical conspiracy theories to justify other people’s selective interest or indifference, we would be better served to confidently define our own priorities. We have to fight our battles, celebrate our heroes and tell our stories truthfully.

And if we find that these stories shame us, then we must do something about them. But for those of us still fixated on the ‘image’ issue, it’s quite simple really: you want better PR? Improve the product.