2016 Oscars Winner Updates: Films With Religious Themes Dominate at 88th Academy Awards

By Carlo Monzon
2016 Oscars
Producers Steve Golin, Blye Pagon Faust, Nicole Rocklin and Michael Sugar (L-R) of the Best Picture winning film "Spotlight", kiss their Oscars backstage during the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 28, 2016.  REUTERS/Mike Blake

The 2016 Oscars is finally over which means its roster of winners has been finalized. And, among those that took home the golden statue are films that carry religious motifs.

One of those is the film "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness," which won the category for Best Documentary (Short Subject). This film was created by Pakistani journalist Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and was released in October last year.

The documentary tackles the issue of the honor killings in Pakistan, which claims the lives of over 1,000 women every year. In this practice, families or social groups kill a female member who they believe, according to their extreme religious and cultural beliefs, has brought dishonor to their community.

The film tells the story of this issue from the perspective of Sada, an 18-year-old girl who survived an attempted murder carried out by her father and uncle.

Another entry that was awarded at this year's Oscars is "Son of Saul," which took home the trophy for the Best Foreign Language Film category. The Hungarian film takes place in 1944 and focuses on the conditions in the concentration camps of the Nazis.

It tells the story of a member of the Sonderkommando, a group composed of Jewish prisoners who are forced by their captors to participate in the killings of their fellow inmates before disposing of their bodies.

Lastly, the Hollywood film "Spotlight" won the categories for Best Picture and Writing (Original Screenplay). The film, which stars Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Live Schreiber, John Slattery and Stanley Tucci, tells the story of the group of a journalist working for The Boston Globe, who were referred to collectively as the Spotlight team.

In 2001, this investigative team of journalists was able to uncover a conspiracy involving lawyers and officials from government agencies regarding the child abuse allegations made against different Catholic priests in Boston.

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