IN HER HONOR tells the stories of three men who committed honor killings and enters tribal, religious, and family domains where men are the final authority and killing is defended with the logic, “A man is like a piece of gold, when he is dirtied he can easily be washed clean. But a woman is like silk, when she is dirtied she cannot be cleaned and she must be destroyed.”
The three stories of the film reflect the range of cultures where honor killings are found. One story comes from Muslim culture, one from Hindu culture, and one Christian story is included as well. IN HER HONOR explores the psychological and historical roots of honor killings and, for the first time, turns the tables by focusing on the untold stories of the men who commit honor killings. The film goes beyond the obvious horror of what is done, to explore why it is done, and why it is done without remorse, and sometimes even with pride.
The film opens with an extended family gathered around a table after a meal. A family member who is not present is being discussed, and it is she who has caused the family’s honor to be questioned by refusing the marriage chosen for her. She is much loved, but because she will not change her mind there is no other option. A young cousin will handle it so that he will be treated as a minor if caught. The voiceover explaining these events comes from an interview with her father. As the patriarch, he made the decision and she was killed, her body hidden, and her disappearance never reported.
“I named you Nirupama, a person who is incomparable. But the step you have taken, or are going to take is against our religion. When people stick to religion, it saves them from all troubles, but when they go against it, the same religion destroys them.”
A man who killed for honor—and who we meet briefly in the first act and see again seeming to defend his actions in the second act—will describe his deep remorse, his journey to understanding, and his work to stop honor killings. He risks his life to challenge a traditional view of women that he believes must be changed throughout the world. It’s a story audiences have not seen before.
IN HER HONOR: Interview with Director from Lydia Nibley on Vimeo.
Interview with Lydia Nibley, the director of the documentary IN HER HONOR.
The film team is in pre-production and is currently reaching out to additional funders in the U.S. and internationally. Just Media is a 501(c)(3) organization and contributions to IN HER HONOR are tax deductible. Please call 818.824.3944 for more information about the project.
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