Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s filmmaking prowess is no secret to anybody and seems like she has another feather to add to her director’s hat. Obaid-Chinoy has been named one of the best 18 Asian directors!
The list, compiled by Asia Tatler, includes directors from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and more obscure up-and-coming ones from the Philippines, Taiwan, etc. Coming in at 16, Obaid-Chinoy is the only Pakistani on the list.
Describing their reasoning behind Chinoy’s selection, the outlet wrote, “She’s a journalist, an activist and also a filmmaker, most known for her work that put the spotlight on the inequality that women face. Because of this, she has received two Academy Awards, six Emmy Awards, and a Knight International Journalism Award.”
“To honor her achievements and contributions, the Government of Pakistan bestowed her the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, the second-highest civilian honor in the country in 2012,” the noted, adding, “The same year, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Obaid-Chinoy is also the first female director to have two Academy Awards at just 37 years old.”
The outlet also cited her biggest achievements in cinema, including the award-winning documentary, Saving Face (2012) and the biographical A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness (2015), which became the catalyst for changing the law on honor killing in Pakistan.
Obaid-Chinoy took to Instagram to share the achievement. “Now that’s a cool list to be a part of! Thank you. Look forward to the adventures 2021 brings!” she wrote.
Topping the list is Bong-Joon Ho, director of Parasite, who shot to worldwide fame in 2020 after his film made history as the first South Korean film to win Best International Feature Film and Best Picture at the Oscars.
