Balsall Heath charity wins Oscar for domestic violence documentary.
Islamic Help’s documentary, which highlights the plight of women injured in acid attacks, has won an Oscar at the LA ceremony.
The film, named Saving Face, charts the work of the Balsall Heath-based charity and its campaign in treating victims who were injured in acid attacks.
The documentary features plastic surgeon Mohammad Ali Jawad, who has repaired the wound of many victims who were left scarred by jealous partners.
Mr Jawad and his team of doctors have performed hundreds of procedures on behalf of Islamic Help.
Filmmakers Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy decided to make the documentary after watching a Channel 4 film about model Katie Piper, who was also a victim of an acid attack and is now Islamic Help’s official ambassador.
A spokesperson at Islamic Help said, “This will help raise the global profile of our campaign. It is a remarkable achievement by the film-makers who deserve the award for their fantastic work.
“This is a great platform for us to keep up the good work. Many of us involved with Islamic Help had our fingers crossed throughout the night waiting for news from the ceremony,” he added.
“We were all absolutely overjoyed when it was announced that Saving Face had won the Oscar.”
Co-director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy said: “Daniel Junge thought it would be fascinating to see how Dr Jawad’s revolutionary plastic surgery skills could be used.
“Our story shows the audience how a country’s own people can help overcome problems. We hope the documentary will help people understand acid violence.”
