‘Saving Face’, a documentary featuring British/Pakistani plastic surgeon Mohammad Jawad was awarded the Oscar for Documentary Short Subject at the the 84th Academy Awards® last night, Sunday 26th February 2012. Directed by Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the documentary chronicles the work of pioneering plastic surgeon, Mohammad Jawad as he travels to his birthplace, Pakistan, to treat survivors of radically disfiguring acid attacks, the majority of whom are women targeted by family members. It will debut on HBO in the USA on 8th March 2012, and be shown on Channel 4 in the UK in early April, after being screened as part of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival UK, on March 28th and 29th, 2012.

Acid attacks on women in Pakistan are a not uncommon, if un-spoken about phenomenon. 'Saving Face' is the story of two survivors of such attacks — their battle for justice and their journey of healing through the pioneering surgical work of Mr Mohammad Jawad. “I am so grateful for the Academy’s recognition of this film and the issues highlighted here. No-one who sees these women could fail to be moved. Each beautiful in their own way, their lives have been destroyed, their faces and bodies disfigured, often by members of their own families.

They are the real heroes here. They have been ostracised from society following the terrible attacks that have been inflicted upon them. I merely try to restore God’s creation, which has been destroyed by such evil acts of human beings, in the best way I know how. I hope that awareness of the cause will help to eradicate this beast of a man-made disease from society.” said Mr Jawad who was catapulted to fame when the story of Katie Piper, the model disfigured by a vicious acid attack was made into a documentary by Channel 4, 'My Beautiful Face'. As the surgeon who saved her face, is also a trustee of the Katie Piper Foundation.

Mr Jawad hopes that the public awareness generated by Saving Face will serve as a global platform for the establishment of a charitable foundation to enable him to build upon and expand his work with burns victims in Third World countries. He plans to set up the Sarvat Jawad Foundation, in honour of his mother, to additionally enable skills transfer and allow him to pass on his invaluable expertise to local surgeons.