Throughout the Islamic world, each year hundreds of women are shot, stabbed, strangled or burned to death by male relatives because they are thought to have “dishonoured” their families.  They may have lost their virginity, refused an arranged marriage or left an abusive husband. Even if a woman is raped or merely the victim of gossip, she must pay the price.  Crimes of Honour documents the terrible reality of femicide – the belief that a girl’s body is the property of the family, and any suggestion of sexual impropriety must be cleansed with her blood.  We meet women in hiding from their families, a brother who describes his reasons for killing the sister he loved, and a handful of women who have committed themselves to the protection of young women in danger of losing their lives.

Crimes of Honour

Documentary - A hard-hitting look at the rise of "honor killings" among immigrant families in North America, this unsettling documentary profiles the senseless deaths of several teenage girls, who tragically perished at the hands of their own family members. With a passion for exploring human rights issues, filmmaker Shelley Saywell showcases powerful interviews with relatives, friends and other young women facing similar fears in their homes. -  Patricia Owens, Amina Said, Sarah Said