| Image Alt: | Banaz: A Love Story |
| Director: | Deeyah Khan |
| Theme Music Composer: | L. Subramaniam |
| Country: | United Kingdom/ Norway |
| Language: | English |
| Producer: | Deeyah |
| Cinematography: | Jeremiah Chapman |
| Runtime: | 70 minutes |
Banaz: A Love Story is a 2012 documentary film directed and produced by Deeyah Khan.[1] The film chronicles the life and death of Banaz Mahmod, a young British-Iraqi woman of Kurdish origin killed in 2006 in South London on the orders of her family in what is euphemistically called honour killing.[2] The film received its UK premiere at the Raindance Film Festival in London September 2012.[3]
Banaz Mahmoud was born in Iraqi Kurdistan and moved to England with her family when she was 10 years old. At the age of 17, her parents had arranged a marriage between her and a man 10 years older than her. Within months the marriage turned violent and Banaz requested a divorce. In the coming months, Banaz fell in love with someone of her own choosing, something which was found to be shameful by her family. Banaz was kept in confinement by her family, beaten, and forbidden to see her lover. She escaped and sought help from authorities, to no avail. She wrote a letter to police, detailing her situation and stating that her father should be investigated if anything were to happen to her. In January 2006, Banaz was killed by family members, in a plot which was initiated by her father. In total, Banaz went to the police 5 times before her death, but did not get the help she needed. Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode of the Metropolitan Police led the investigation to recover the body of Banaz and arrest her killers, securing the first ever extradition from Iraq to Britain.
Banaz: A Love Story has been re-versioned for ITV's UK investigative journalism series Exposure, for UK national broadcast on 31 October in co-production with Hardcash Productions and Fuuse Films.[4] The re-versioned film for ITV Exposure is named: BANAZ – AN HONOUR KILLING.
Further screenings of Banaz A Love Story:
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Peabody Award[6] | International TV Documentary | |
| 2013 | Emmy[7] | Best International Current Affairs | |
| 2013 | Bergen International Film Festival[8] | Best Norwegian Documentary | |
| 2011-2012 | Royal Television Society[9] | Journalism award for Home/British Current Affairs | |
During the making of the film, Deeyah worked with experts, activists and NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) specialising in the field of honour-based violence globally, which led to a shared recognition of the urgent need for online educational resources and campaigning networks dedicated to the issue.
As a result, the making of Banaz: A Love Story led to Deeyah founding two independent initiatives: