1. What is the title of the film, what (brief summary) is it about (subject, topic)?
The title of the documentary film is ‘Saving Face’. The film is the 2012 Academy Award winner for the category of Documentary (Short Subject). The film is based on the women of Pakistan who have been subjected to acid violence. It follows a plastic surgeon by the name of Dr. Muhammad Jawad, who performs reconstructive surgery on women who have had acid thrown on their faces. It also shows two women who have suffered from acid violence, and they are waiting for justice and healing. The film also shows the deep rooted problem of inequality between men and women of Pakistan, and highlights the patriarchal society. The Acid Survivors of Pakistan has also been featured in the film and documents over 100 acid attacks per year in Pakistan. However, these estimates understate the true number of attacks because of less actual reporting by the victims .
2. Why did you choose this documentary to view? What did you expect to learn or experience from this film?
The primary reason why this documentary caught my attention was because it won the Oscar this year. However, when I saw its trailer I was deeply shocked. I couldn’t believe that such violent things are done to women of Pakistan. I needed to learn more about this issue. So I decided to view it.
I expected to learn more about the prevalent male domination and understand to what extent women of Pakistan are suppressed. Also, I believed that the movie will help me learn more about the society of Pakistan and become aware of the issue of acid violence.
3. What was the central point of this film? That is, what was the overall focus, goal or mission of the filmmaker? Think of it like an essay: What was the thesis statement?
The central points of the film were to concentrate on the acid violence women of Pakistan, and beyond, are subjected to. The overall focus of the filmmaker was to create awareness about this prevalent issue and to gather global support to help end acid violence against women of Pakistan, and beyond .
I believe the thesis statement was that women of Pakistan are subjected to acid violence. This being the thesis statement, the documentary film focused on unveiling the very curtains of such violence and shedding light on this very issue.
4. How did the filmmaker support that central point? Topics? Facts? Stats? Interviews? Comparisons?
The filmmakers, Obaid-Chinoy and Daniel Junge, used two victims of acid violence and a doctor to prove their central point. One is Rukhsana, who is 23 years of age, and was attacked by her husband and in-laws. The other woman is Zakia, who is 39 years of age, and was attacked by husband after filing for divorce. The doctor was a plastic surgeon by the name of Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who comes back to Pakistan from London, in order to help the victims of such violence. So the filmmakers use the lives of Zakia and Rukhsana and their attempt to bring their oppressors to justice in order to prove this prevalent social problem in Pakistan.
5. Did this film meet your expectations? What, if anything, did you learn from it, intellectually or emotionally? How did it impact you? That is, did it inspire you or change your perspective in any way?
The film exceeded my expectations. It was so detailed and tackled the issue at hand to a great extent. The film had a great impact on me, both intellectually and emotionally. Intellectually, I became aware of this issue of acid violence and learned why such attacks are carried out. Emotionally, I was so disturbed that it in turn had a huge impact in me. It drove in me the desire to stand up against such oppression and help the different NGOs working to end this social problem.
6. A film may contain examples of several modes (expository, observational, interactive, reflexive), but in this film, which mode appears to be the dominant mode? Explain why you believe it to be the dominant mode.
The type of mode used in the film is observational because the filmmakers maintained minimal appearance. In fact, the film was shown through the lives of the doctors and the two victims. Their journey was shown, as if we’re only observing what they’re doing. It was shown how the plastic surgeon is going about helping the victims, and how Zakia and Rukhsana are struggling to heal themselves and bring their attackers to justice.
7. Describe at least five examples (total, not five of each) in the film using the following methods, and at least three different categories of those listed below must be represented in your five examples. NOTE: You must describe the scene; describe the editing technique, and how it is being used effectively.
A lot of different visual tracks were used, like the A-roll, which is also called primary footage; and contains all the original footage (audio and visual) captured by the filmmaker. Like for example, the filmmakers used the footages of the doctor, the two victims, interview footages that they captured with Marvi Memon and representatives of Acid Survivors Foundation-Pakistan.
The filmmakers used audio track of nondiegtic form. Music or sound was put into as background music to increase the impact of the grief witnessed through the story of the victims. The music was added in the scenes of Zakia and Rukhsana when they are relating their life stories.
Text Track was also seen in the form of subtitles. The people in the film were speaking mostly in different local languages of Pakistan.
Therefore, the dialogues had subtitles in English language in order to allow audiences understand what’s going on and what is being said.
Different framing shots were also used. On framing shot used occasionally was the long shot. This was done when the filmmakers wanted the audience to focus on not only the subject but the surrounding as well. A scene was shown of one of the victims who sitting in a room, which she then revealed was the room where she was burned. Close-ups were also done, especially when scenes of burned faces were shown. The close-ups used to properly portray the damage done due to throwing acid on the faces of the sufferers of these attacks.
8. Describe, explain which mass media functions this film executes (see next page)? If more than one function applies, describe the one or two most dominant functions involved.
The two major functions of mass media that this film executes are to inform and setting an agenda. The film’s primary purpose was to create awareness amongst the people of Pakistan and the international community about this social problem of acid attacks on women. Such issues of domestic violence are depicted in the film through the eyes of the two victims and the doctor. The second function that film performs is setting the agenda of civil rights. The film was made to increase the momentum of women rights and protecting them from such violence.
The film aimed to gain support of various NGOs and the international community to stand up against such violence and help to prevent such attacks.
Bibliography
Face, S. (n.d.). The Campaign: Mission. Retrieved from Saving Face.
Wikipedia. (2012, April 30). Saving Face (2012 film). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saving_Face_(2012_film)
