Abstract
This article is based on the first Pakistani Oscar winning documentary Saving Face
(2012) which investigates Pakistani gender identity construction of victims and
perpetrators of acid related violence. The article is rooted in Kress and Van
Leeuwen’s Visual Semiotic Theory (2006) and Social Actor Theory (2008). Visual
Semiotic Theory analyzes multimodal discourse strategies in selected images at
representational and interactive level to investigate the interplay of various modes,
while Social Actor Theory analyzes lexical choices to investigate representation of
roles of social actors at lexical, grammatical and discursive level. The results show
how language and ideology are intertwined in the film during this period. Firstly,
gender representation gives more space to female acid burnt victims but in the
process men are represented from a narrow lens. Secondly, the film is an appraisal
of female victims’ struggles and engages in a social and legislative dialogue to give
basic human rights to women. Thirdly, the article highlights the cultural specific
gender roles in various ways by converging towards conventionally ‘masculine’ and
‘feminine’ roles. The article shows that women representation in media is at a
crossroads of reshaping discriminatory stereotypes.
