Lifestyle / Madonna Narrates Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Short Film About Qandeel Baloch Honour Killing

Madonna Narrates Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Short Film About Qandeel Baloch Honour Killing

Lifestyle Oct 12, 2016

by Dilshad Burman

Two-time Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy has a pretty impressive celebrity narrator: Madonna.

“The world that we want to leave our girls and our daughters must be much safer than the world we have inherited.” With that simple yet powerful statement, Academy Award–winning director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy punctuated her short film Qandeel Baloch: A Very Short Story, which debuted at the 2016 Global Citizen Festival last month. The one-and-half-minute film summarizes the life and untimely death of Pakistani model and social media darling Qandeel Baloch, who was struck down at the height of her popularity by her own brother in a so-called honour killing.

Obaid Chinoy is also an advisory board member for Chime For Change, a global campaign founded by Gucci to raise funds and awareness for women’s causes around the world. Co-founder Salma Hayek Pinault also spoke at the film’s debut screening, highlighting Chime For Change and Global Citizen's commitment to campaigning efforts, in conjunction with Equality Now, to end honour killings in Pakistan.

The video is narrated by none other than legendary global pop star Madonna, who posted her support for the project and the cause on Instagram to celebrate The Day of the Girl yesterday. She expressed pride at being part of the project and said, “The Pakistani government finally passed the #antihonorkilling bill, closing the loophole that allows killers to walk free!”

^{Madonna's Instagram post

Photo Credit: Instagram}

The historic bill passed unanimously in a joint session of the Pakistani parliament on October 6^th, 2016, as part of wider pro-women legislation pertaining to rape and honour killing, the Express Tribune reports.

Along with many encouraging comments and kudos on her post, Madonna received a few hateful jabs, which the megastar was quick to shut down. Directly addressing an offensive user, she said, “You are in the wrong place right now!!! Stop writing your ignorant woman hating nonsense on my IG account.”

^{Madonna tackles the haters on her Instagram post.}
Photo Credit: Instagram

Madonna has long been an advocate for women’s rights, both through her music and using her celebrity status to raise awareness. Earlier in the year, she defended her scandalous ensemble at the Met Ball with a statement on Instagram, saying, “When it comes to women’s rights, we are still in the dark ages. My dress at the Met Ball was a political statement as well as a fashion statement…I’m not afraid to pave the way for all the girls behind me…join my fight for gender equality.”

^{Madonna's Heartfelt Message

Photo Credit: Instagram}

Watch the short film Qandeel Baloch: A Very Short Story below.

Dilshad Burman

Author

Dilshad Burman is an award winning TV host and Canadian media personality. Born in Mumbai, India, she was surrounded by its creative energy and grew up with a passion for music, film and television. While completing her Bachelor of Arts in English literature from The University of Mumbai, she i...

Madonna Narrates Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Short Film About Qandeel Baloch Honour Killing

by Dilshad Burman

Dilshad Burman

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