sahdia This documentary shows the grim reality in its entirety, so much so that we even see wounds and scars. This is what the victims see and feel every day. This film helps fight the case against these laws which allow people to get away with the most heinous crimes and even feel proud about it. No remorse from the attackers. It's frustrating to know how common and similar these stories are and how often there is no justice. I used to hear them and read about them even when growing up, yet nothing changed for the better in all these years. Why?!The problem goes further than the areas of Pakistan where this is common. Many people who originate from these places, bring such heinous views and traditions to the countries where they build a new life. Some of my family members share them, some of our Pakistani family friends agree with them. I hope films like these will help bring an important change, because too many lives have been destroyed already.

Riaz Balouch I am fond of watching movies but its all about entertainment; nothing for to know the reality of life , when I watch A girl in the river " I felt a pain in my heart and tears in my eyes because we had no idea of those people whom are living with us but not living with life!Its a great movie against gender discrimination in our tribal traditions and some how fake Islamic scholars.These all traditions are against the Qurran & Islam.In our society there are so many other customs and values to banned the women to show their natural abilities and talent in public working field. Now a days its little bit easy to face the aggression of right wing and credit goes to those powers whom stop the Talban thoughts and trying to make Pakistan a modern liberal country where every could be live without gender, religion, language, cast, status and racial discrimination. I want to see my country a beautiful and piece full place where we could enjoy art, film, games, music,religion values with beautiful family units.

Dave McClain If you like true stories told very well, but briefly, and you'd like to get a leg up in an Oscar pool, then this review is for you! In my continuing effort to see as many Oscar nominees as possible, I took advantage of the opportunity to see the shorts.TV theatrical presentation "Oscar Nominated Short Films 2016: Documentary" (NR, 3:00 – with 10 min. intermission). Here's a brief, spoiler-free summary and evaluation of one of those five films..."A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness" (40 min.) – Saba was an 18-year-old Pakistani girl who fell in love with and married a young man of whom her family did not approve. For this "crime", her father and uncle kidnapped her from the home of her new husband's family, drove her to a riverbank, shot her in the head, placed her in a sack and threw her in the river. Saba was one of over 1,000 women targeted for "honor killings" every year in Pakistan, but unlike most of those nameless victims, Saba survived. We see her in the hospital being treated for her wounds, then we follow her as she returns to live with her husband and his family and is pressured to drop the charges against her uncle and father and publicly "forgive" them. All the key players in this real-life drama give interviews in which they tell us about their roles in this story and openly discuss their points of view. We even get to sit in on a meeting between local tribal elders and Saba's lawyer, trying to find a resolution to the case. With remarkable access, a flare for story-telling and the ability to present all points of view without judgment, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has directed an important and outstanding film which rises above the label of "documentary short" and demands to be seen by everyone who cares about our common humanity. "A+" The other four films in the shorts.TV theatrical presentation "Oscar Nominated Short Films 2016: Documentary" are… "Body Team 12" "Chau, beyond the Lines" "Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah" "Last Day of Freedom"

MartinHafer This film is set in Pakistan and is about so-called 'honor killings'--when families murder their own daughters in order to save face with their neighbors. The particular subject of this film is a young lady named Saba. Saba married a man despite her family not giving her permission and her father and uncle dealt with it by shooting her and dumping her into the river. However, Saba's case is unusual because she actually survived the gunshot to her face and the film follows the case through the Pakistani court and to its ultimate resolution...or lack of resolution. The film is hellaciously depressing but fortunately the gunshot wound isn't as horrible to see post-surgically as you might imagine and Saba is rather inspiring because of her inner strength. It's also an amazing film because everyone talks so openly about what occurred and the father seems incredibly proud of his actions and by the end of the film he is elated that he maintained his sense of honor by trying to murder his daughter. By the way, if you are curious, the filmmakers and folks they interviewed were careful to reiterate that these honor killings are not in any way approved of in the Koran but are more cultural than religious in nature.UPDATE: This film did take the Oscar for Best Documentary Short.