New York-Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary, ‘A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness’ has won the best International Television Award at prestigious 49thAnnual Robert F Kennedy Journalism Awards, as announced in New York. Indeed, Sharmeen is the first Pakistani to win this prestigious award in the International Television Category. The documentary had previously won an Oscar at the 88th Academy Awards and the coveted Alfred I duPont-Columbia University Award, in 2016.
The Oscar winning SOC Films and Home Box Office [HBO] production film, A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, is based on the practice of honor killing in Pakistan. The documentary chronicles one young Pakistani woman who lived to tell of her escape from an attempted honor killing by her own family.
“Speaking the truth is never easy especially given the world we live in today where journalists are routinely harassed & forced into silence. I am honored to receive this award and hope to continue telling important stories that affect all of us...in the hope that one day we will leave a more humane world for the next generation.” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
The Awards will be presented along with the 37thRobert F. Kennedy Book Award, by Mrs. Robert Kennedy and Kerry Kennedy with Chair Margaret Engel on May 23, 2017 at the Newseum in Washington DC. The event will be emceed by Book Chair Michael Beschloss with remarks by Kerry Kennedy and Bill Moyers.
