Banaz: A Love Story Explained

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]

Synopsis

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.

Film screenings

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:

Accolades

YearAward CategoryResult
2013Peabody Award[6] International TV Documentary
2013 Emmy[7] Best International Current Affairs
2013 Bergen International Film Festival[8] Best Norwegian Documentary
2011-2012Royal Television Society[9] Journalism award for Home/British Current Affairs

HBVA and Memini

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:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Paul Peachey . Still now they follow me": Footage of Banaz Mahmod warning police before her 'honour' killing to be shown for the first time . The Independent. 24 September 2012. 28 September 2012.
  2. Web site: Tracy McVeigh . 'They're following me': chilling words of girl who was 'honour killing' victim. The Guardian. 22 September 2012. 28 September 2012.
  3. Web site: Orestes Kouzof. Banaz: A Love Story. raindance.co.uk. 28 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120908162731/http://www.raindance.co.uk/site/index.php?id=593,9050,0,0,1,0. 8 September 2012. dead.
  4. Web site: Exposure: Honour killing victim predicts death in video. itv.com. 31 October 2013. 31 October 2013.
  5. Web site: GRO ROGNMO. Viste film om æresdrap for FN. dagbladet.no. 11 March 2014. 11 March 2014.
  6. Web site: ekropp . 72nd Annual Peabody Awards: Complete List of Winners . peabodyawards.com . 27 March 2013 . 29 March 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130518145332/http://peabodyawards.com/2013/03/72nd-annual-peabody-awards-complete-list-of-winners/ . 18 May 2013 .
  7. Web site: THE DEADLINE TEAM. International Emmy Current Affairs, News Nominees Announced. deadline.com. 14 August 2013. 17 August 2013.
  8. Web site: NORSKE DOKUMENTARVINNERE. biff.no. 29 October 2013. 31 October 2013.
  9. Web site: RTS ANNOUNCES SHORTLIST FOR TELEVISION JOURNALISM AWARDS 2011/2012 . rts.org.uk . 1 February 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140903120622/http://www.rts.org.uk/rts-announces-shortlist-television-journalism-awards-20112012 . 3 September 2014 .