By giving our audience intimate access to the lives of musicians, we hope to raise awareness of the region's beautiful cultural heritage and present a more nuanced portrait of its people.
In terms of Saving Face, I was inspired by the stories of survivors who didn’t let their attacks stop them from pursuing justice and seeking treatment.
In December 2011, I will be opening up my production house, Sharmeen Obaid Films, and aspire to change the way Pakistanis approach nonfiction storytelling. There are thousands of stories to be found here.
I hope I can make Pakistan proud by bringing home an Oscar.
I'm generally quite an angry person, and I like to channel my anger toward something creative.
All the women in Pakistan working for change, don't give up on your dreams, this is for you.
I have very strong Canadian connections. My daughter was born there a year and half ago. But because of the nature of my job, I need to be in countries where I can get the stories that I am looking at.
I don't think I'll be making documentaries my whole life.
It takes one second to ruin a woman's life.
My topics are timely. When an event is happening is when I want to be there... I think it is our duty to challenge the status quo.
Pakistan destroyed its own reputation. If anything, I have improved Pakistan's image.
My family restores my sense of ease and keeps me balanced.
I think perhaps Pakistan can take the lead. Perhaps Turkey can as well, being part of Europe. But someone has to start talking about why the Muslim world has become a boiling pot and look beyond these cartoons to what the ideological reasons are for this divide.
I'd like to do a film in Canada, but it's too difficult. National Film Board funding takes too long, and there's too much paperwork; by the time the film is approved the topic is dead and gone.
An Academy Award nomination is stuff dreams are made of.
As filmmakers, you're not working on just one project, you're producing something, directing something, shooting something, and so it becomes hard to do it by yourself.
