From DVF to Star Wars, Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy charts her Hollywood path 

From DVF to Star Wars, Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy charts her Hollywood path 
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attends the opening night premiere of "Diane Von Furstenberg: Woman In Charge" during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at BMCC Theater on June 05, 2024 in New York City.
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Updated 26 June 2024
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From DVF to Star Wars, Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy charts her Hollywood path 

From DVF to Star Wars, Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy charts her Hollywood path 
  • Obaid-Chinoy, winner of two Oscars, has been roped in to direct a Star Wars film
  • Her documentaries have put spotlight on social issues, notably women’s rights

Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s oeuvre defies simple categorization.
She’s made documentaries about acid attack victims and child refugees. She’s focused her lens on the extraordinary life of designer Diane von Furstenberg. She’s spearheaded animated films for and about Pakistani children. She’s directed episodes of “Ms. Marvel” and is developing a Star Wars film. And she’s won two Oscars along the way.

It’s not a conventional resume or trajectory — nothing that anyone would teach or even think to advise in a film school or a masterclass about making it in Hollywood. But for Obaid-Chinoy , it’s working. And it’s made her one of the most interesting storytellers in the business.

“I’ve been able to follow my own yellow brick road to Hollywood,” Obaid-Chinoy said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “Having Academy Awards has helped that, but most importantly so many young filmmakers around the world write to me and tell me how my unconventional choices ... make them believe that that yellow brick road can be walked on by many people.”
Her newest film is “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge,” which is streaming on Hulu. With a co-directing credit shared with Trish Dalton, it’s an intimate portrait of the fashion tycoon, who is raw and honest about everything: death, dalliances, ambitions, love, failures and everything in between.
“I hope it’s inspiring to a lot of girls and women to know that they can be the women they want to be,” von Furstenberg said.
They met 12 years ago on stage at Carnegie Hall where von Furstenberg was presenting Obaid-Chinoy with a Glamour Woman of the Year Award and have kept in touch since. When von Furstenberg decided she was ready to tell her own story, she wanted Obaid-Chinoy to do it and gave her full access to herself, her family and her archives.
“I’ve always made films about women who are on the front lines, who are faced with extraordinary circumstances and who rise to that occasion,” she said. “Diane is very much in line with that.”
It’s a busy time for the filmmaker, who is also in early development on Akiva Goldsman’s adaptation of the Marcus Sakey novel “Brilliance” and working with Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Knight on a “Star Wars” film about Daisy Ridley’s Rey at a jedi academy, both of which she’ll direct.
Obaid-Chinoy didn’t start out with filmmaking aspirations, however. Her entry to storytelling was as a teen journalist in Pakistan. The eldest of six, five of whom were girls, she was a naturally inquisitive young person who wanted to know about the world around her. She would pepper her mother with questions: Why did she get to go to school while other kids were begging on the street? Why was there inequality? Why were women forced to live a certain kind of life?
When she was around 14, her mother suggested she start putting these questions in writing. So, she did. Obaid-Chinoy wrote a letter to the local English language newspaper in Pakistan — the first of many letters that would open doors to new opportunities and career advancements. By 17, she was doing investigative reporting for the paper.
It wasn’t until October 2001, as she was nearing her graduation at Smith College, that she realized she wanted to do more visual storytelling. Her first idea was to go to Afghanistan and focus on the ordinary people living there. She sent her proposal out to about 80 organizations and finally got a response, from New York Times Television. With $7,500 from them and $7,500 from her school, she made “Terror’s Children,” which was broadcast on television and won several awards: Suddenly she was a documentary filmmaker to watch.
In 2012, at 33, she made Oscars history as the first Pakistani Academy Award winner for her documentary short “Saving Face,” an eye-opening film about women disfigured by acid attacks and the plastic surgeon trying to help them.
One of its fans was Angelina Jolie, who wrote in Time Magazine that Obaid-Chinoy, one of their 100 most influential people of 2012, was helping to shape the dialogue on Pakistan and inspire change in legislation.
“Giving voice to those who cannot be heard,” Jolie wrote, “she celebrates the strength and resilience of those fighting against seemingly insurmountable odds — and winning.”
A few years later, her film “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness,” about a teen who survives an “honor killing” attempt by her father and uncle, helped inform the repeal of a forgiveness loophole for perpetrators. It also won the Oscar.
After that, she felt an urge to create something more visual and set up an animation studio in Pakistan.
“I began to work more with actors and narrative work,” she said. “And out of this grew a need to do something that would take my experiences being embedded around the world as a filmmaker and create something that would give life to characters that would be loved around the world.”
So, she wrote another letter, this time to Marvel Studios, raising her hand to help with the Disney+ series “Ms. Marvel.” She directed episodes around the superhero’s trip to modern-day Pakistan and 1947 India.
This new phase of her career has put her in a bigger spotlight, with higher profile opportunities, but it also comes with its downsides — just ask anyone involved in “Acolyte” about toxic fandoms. But she’s unbothered by the noise: She learned long ago from her mother to drown out the voices that aren’t helpful.
The chasm between serious-minded documentaries and fantasies about jedi knights might seem vast from the outside, but for Obaid-Chinoy it’s not so.
“My protagonists ... go on these hero’s journey and that are faced with adversities and that sort of, you know, rise up out of the ashes of that adversity. And in many of my films, they change the trajectory of a country, the trajectory of the community,” she said. “At the heart of it, that is Star Wars. And I’ve been telling that story for the last 20 years.”


Death toll from school bus bombing in Pakistan’s Balochistan rises to 10

Death toll from school bus bombing in Pakistan’s Balochistan rises to 10
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Death toll from school bus bombing in Pakistan’s Balochistan rises to 10

Death toll from school bus bombing in Pakistan’s Balochistan rises to 10
  • Balochistan has been the site of a decades-long insurgency, though it has intensified more recently
  • Islamabad blamed the May 21 bombing on Indian ‘terror proxies,’ an allegation denied by New Delhi

ISLAMABAD: The death toll from this week’s suicide attack on a school bus in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has risen to 10 as two more schoolchildren have died during treatment, Pakistani state media reported on Monday.

Balochistan has been the site of an insurgency for decades, though it has intensified more recently, with groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) carrying out high-profile attacks on civilians and security forces.

Wednesday’s bombing killed five Pakistanis, including three school-goers, when their bus was en route to an army-run school in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district. Three more students died later during treatment.

“Two more students, Sheema Ibrahim and Muskan, have also succumbed to their injuries taking the [children’s] toll to eight,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported on Monday.

Pakistani civilian and military officials have blamed the May 21 bombing on India. On Friday, Pakistan’s Interior Secretary Khurram Muhammad Agha described the Khuzdar bombing as an attack on “our values, our education and on the very fabric of our society.”

“Initial findings confirm that this attack is in continuity of a broader pattern of violence sponsored by India through Fitna Al-Hindustan (FAH) operating under the tutelage and the patronage of the Indian intelligence agency R&AW,” he said, without offering any proof to link India to the attack.

New Delhi has distanced itself from the bombing, attributing such acts of violence to Pakistan’s “internal failures.”

The FAH comprises several separatist groups and independently operating cells in the insurgency-hit southwestern Pakistani province, according to Pakistani officials. These cells, after having suffered immense casualties in past few years, have now resorted to hitting “soft targets.”

The rise in deaths from Khuzdar bomb attack comes a day after Pakistan’s army said it had killed nine “Indian-sponsored” militants in three separate operations in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Relations between Pakistan and India touched a new low last month, when gunmen killed 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir in an attack India blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad has denied complicity and called for a credible, international investigation into it.
Pakistan and India have a bitter history and have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir.

The nuclear-armed archfoes traded missile and drones strikes as heightened tensions spiraled into a military four-day conflict this month that ended with a United States-brokered truce on May 10.

Pakistan has mostly blamed India for supporting a separatist insurgency in Balochistan, a southwestern province that borders Iran and Afghanistan. It also accuses it of backing the Pakistani Taliban who regularly carry out attacks in the country’s northwestern and other regions. New Delhi denies the allegations.


Pakistan kicks off nationwide polio drive, aims to vaccinate 45 million children

Pakistan kicks off nationwide polio drive, aims to vaccinate 45 million children
Updated 26 May 2025
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Pakistan kicks off nationwide polio drive, aims to vaccinate 45 million children

Pakistan kicks off nationwide polio drive, aims to vaccinate 45 million children
  • Minister says community engagement essential to eliminate the polio virus from the country
  • Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday kicked off a third nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign of this year that aims to inoculate more than 45 million children under the age of five.

Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with the completion of the routine immunization schedule for all children are essential to ensure strong immunity against the disease.

Pakistan has confirmed 10 cases so far this year, according to the polio program. Environmental surveillance has detected the virus in 272 sewage samples from 127 testing sites, across 68 districts, signaling continued circulation.

Inaugurating the campaign at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) in Islamabad, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said community engagement was inevitable in eliminating the virus from Pakistan, urging parents to immunize all children under the age of five years.

“Protect your children from permanent disability by vaccinating them,” Kamal said, describing frontline anti-polio workers as the “real heroes.”

“Full-fledged community engagement is essential for the eradication of polio.”

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic.

Pakistan’s polio program on Sunday described the weeklong campaign as a critical intervention in the country’s “final push” to interrupt poliovirus transmission and achieve eradication by end of 2025.

Around 400,000 frontline workers, including 225,000 women vaccinators, are taking part in the current campaign and will go door-to-door to inoculate children.

Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994, but efforts to eradicate the virus have been repeatedly undermined by vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim that immunization is a foreign plot to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western espionage.

Militant groups have also frequently targeted polio vaccination teams and the security personnel assigned to protect them, often resulting in deadly attacks.


PM Sharif praises PSL teams for ‘excellent sportsmanship’ as Lahore lift title trophy

PM Sharif praises PSL teams for ‘excellent sportsmanship’ as Lahore lift title trophy
Updated 26 May 2025
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PM Sharif praises PSL teams for ‘excellent sportsmanship’ as Lahore lift title trophy

PM Sharif praises PSL teams for ‘excellent sportsmanship’ as Lahore lift title trophy
  • Lahore registered a six-wicket win over Quetta, with Sikandar Raza hitting the winning runs
  • Needing 13 in the last over, Raza completed the task with two sixes and as many boundaries

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday praised all Pakistan Super League (PSL) teams for demonstrating “excellent sportsmanship” in the tournament after Lahore Qalandars lifted the trophy for a third time.

Lahore Qalandars registered a six-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators on Sunday, with Sikandar Raza, who landed in Lahore just ten minutes before the toss, hitting the winning runs.

Needing 13 in the last over to complete a 202-run chase set by Quetta, the 39-year old Zimbabwean completed the task during his seven-ball 22 not out with two sixes and as many boundaries.

In a statement issued from his office, Sharif praised Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalandars for their excellent performance in the final match of the tenth edition of PSL.

“Lahore Qalandars successfully achieved the target after a thrilling match,” he was quoted as saying. “All the teams involved in PSL 10 showed excellent sportsmanship.”

Lahore Qalandars won their previous titles in 2022 and 2023.

The prime minister congratulated Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the PCB administration on the successful conduct of the Twnety20 tournament.

“The prime minister paid tribute to all the players, especially the foreign players, whose participation made this successful event possible,” Sharif’s office said.

The tournament was put into jeopardy following a cross-border conflict between Pakistan and India this month. Both neighbors clashed for four days before agreeing to a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement on May 10.

Pakistan rescheduled PSL after a ten-day break, while the Indian Premier League — the world’s richest cricket tournament — was also interrupted.


Pakistan’s ‘Loss and Found Cell’ resolves over 2,500 missing item complaints by Hajj pilgrims — official

Pakistan’s ‘Loss and Found Cell’ resolves over 2,500 missing item complaints by Hajj pilgrims — official
Updated 26 May 2025
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Pakistan’s ‘Loss and Found Cell’ resolves over 2,500 missing item complaints by Hajj pilgrims — official

Pakistan’s ‘Loss and Found Cell’ resolves over 2,500 missing item complaints by Hajj pilgrims — official
  • Pakistani pilgrims have been urged to take precautionary measures such as writing their passport numbers, names on belongings
  • This year’s Hajj is expected to take place between June 4 and June 9, with nearly 112,620 Pakistanis set to perform the pilgrimage

ISLAMABAD: A ‘Lost and Found Cell,’ established by the Pakistani Hajj mission, has resolved more than 2,500 missing item complaints lodged by Pakistani pilgrims this year, Pakistani state media reported, citing an official in Makkah.

This year’s Hajj is expected to take place between June 4 and June 9, with nearly 112,620 Pakistanis set to perform the annual pilgrimage. Of these, approximately 89,000 Pakistanis are traveling under the government scheme and 23,620 through private tour operators.

The South Asian country has set up a Medical Mission and a Lost and Found Cell to facilitate Pakistani pilgrims in case of health or any other emergencies during their stay in the Kingdom, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

Adnan Wazir, the Lost and Found Cell in-charge, told the state broadcaster that his team has been working round the clock, in two shifts to leave no stone unturned in facilitating the ‘guests of Almighty Allah.’

“The Lost and Found Cell in Makkah has successfully resolved 2,539 complaints out of 2,611 regarding missing items belonging to intending pilgrims,” he was quoted as saying.

“All-out efforts are underway to address 72 remaining complaints so that the valuable belongings can be returned to their rightful owners at the earliest.”

Wazir said they have a robust mechanism in place to trace and recover lost items, urging the pilgrims to lodge complaints about missing belongings to officials on duty or directly at the phone number: 00966-125505326.

He strongly advised Pakistani devotees to take precautionary measures such as clearly writing their passport numbers and names on their belongings.

The official said a Wheelchair Desk is also functional at the cell to assist deserving pilgrims upon a refundable security deposit of 200 Saudi Riyals.

Pakistan launched its Hajj flight operation on Apr. 29 which will continue till May 31. The annual pilgrimage is followed by Eid Al-Adha, one of the two major Islamic festivals that involves the traditional animal sacrifice.


At Istanbul meeting, Pakistan and Turkiye call for ‘unimpeded’ aid for Gaza

At Istanbul meeting, Pakistan and Turkiye call for ‘unimpeded’ aid for Gaza
Updated 26 May 2025
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At Istanbul meeting, Pakistan and Turkiye call for ‘unimpeded’ aid for Gaza

At Istanbul meeting, Pakistan and Turkiye call for ‘unimpeded’ aid for Gaza
  • Pakistani and Turkish top leaders discuss regional and international developments, call for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza
  • Israel’s military offensive has killed 53,900 Palestinians since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities

ISLAMABAD: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met in Istanbul on Sunday and called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and access to “unimpeded humanitarian aid” for the people of the besieged enclave.

Fresh Israeli military strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Sunday. Israel launched its latest air and ground war in Gaza after a cross-border attack by the Hamas group on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people by Israeli tallies, with 251 hostages abducted into Gaza. The war has killed more than 53,900 Palestinians since, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip. 

The entire 2.1 million population of Gaza is facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death, according to the World Health Organization. Food security groups say more than 93 percent of children in Gaza, about 930,000, are at risk of famine. Using satellite data, the United Nations estimated in February that 69 percent of the structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.

“Prime Minister Sharif and President Erdoğan discussed pressing regional and international developments,” Sharif’s office said in a statement after the two leaders held delegation-level talks in Istanbul.

“They also expressed deep concern over the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, urgently calling for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to the affected Palestinian population.”

With most of Gaza’s two million population squeezed into an ever narrowing zone on the coast and in the area around the southern city of Khan Younis by Israel’s military operation, international pressure to get aid in quickly has ratcheted up.

Israel’s initial blockade on Gaza, immediately following the October 7 attacks, prevented the entry of humanitarian aid for several weeks. As the war progressed, aid has been allowed in limited quantities.

Israel has recently announced that a new aid system, sponsored by the United States and run by private contractors, will soon begin operations from four distribution centers in the south of Gaza, but many details of how the system will work remain unclear. The UN has already said it will not work with the new system, which it says will leave aid distribution conditional on Israel’s political and military aims.

Israel says its forces will only provide security for the centers and will not distribute aid themselves.

Even as the aid has begun to slowly trickle in, the Israeli military has continued its intensified ground and air operation launched last week, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said would end with Israel taking full control of the Gaza Strip.