Feature Documentary • CBC Documentary Channel
Untying the Knot
A Story of Strength and Justice
When the marriage knot tightens, four women fight back.
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Following Rumana Monzur’s relentless pursuit of justice alongside the interconnected journeys of three other women in Dhaka, Untying the Knot is an unflinching and celebrated feature documentary that reveals the personal price of autonomy, systemic patriarchy, and the indestructible will to survive.
Directed by Zana Shammi
Hot Docs • CBC Documentary
Official Documentary Trailer
Watch The Trailer: Untying the Knot
A gripping portrait of survival, defiance, and the courage to reclaim freedom.
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
When Rumana Monzur was violently blinded by her husband in Dhaka, she refused to disappear into the silence expected of women. Untying the Knot chronicles her journey from hospital beds to courtrooms and Canada’s UBC Law School, while weaving the untold stories of three other women in Dhaka bravely standing up against emotional abuse and cultural expectation.
The full documentary will be available to watch soon.
Four Women • One Shared Struggle
The Women of Untying the Knot
Breaking the silence of educated, urban middle-class women in Dhaka.
Rumana Monzur
Rumana Monzur
Former Professor • UBC Law Graduate & Counsel
A survivor’s relentless pursuit of justice across borders.
Once an assistant professor in International Relations at the University of Dhaka, Rumana was violently attacked and blinded by her husband in 2011. Refusing to yield to domestic stigma, she spoke candidly from her hospital bed, sparking nationwide legal uproar in Bangladesh. She rebuilt her life in Canada, completed her law degree at UBC, and now serves as counsel with the Department of Justice Canada.
Global Recognition & Honors
Festival Honors & Acclaim
Celebrated by international juries and festival audiences across Canada and worldwide for courage in cinema.
Sabeen Mahmud Award for Courage in Cinema
Awarded to filmmakers and protagonists whose courage in cinema challenges patriarchal structures and breaks taboos surrounding domestic violence.
Audience Choice Award for Feature Documentary
Voted by festival audiences as the premier feature documentary, recognized for cinematic empathy, honesty, and emotional resonance.
“A must-see documentary that reveals staggering new perspectives on domestic subjugation and the triumph of the human spirit.”
Hot Docs Cinema
Films Changing the World Series
“An unflinching, vital film exposing the realities of violence in urban South Asia—and the immense courage it takes to rebuild.”
CBC Documentary Channel
Commissioning National Broadcast
“A powerful, unsparing narrative that challenges audiences to rethink silence, institutions, and the cost of autonomy.”
The Link Newspaper
Film Festival Review
Press, Broadcasts & Reviews
In The Media
Untying the Knot and Rumana Monzur’s inspiring journey have been documented by leading news organizations, festivals, and television broadcasts.
Yes, We Can Reduce Violence Against Women
Rumana Monzur – Physical Rehabilitation Category Recipient
Zana Shammi
Director & Investigative Journalist
Filmmaker Spotlight
Meet the Director: Zana Shammi
Amplifying the voices of women fighting for justice and systemic change.
Zana Shammi is an award-winning Bangladeshi-Canadian journalist and filmmaker whose debut feature documentary, Untying the Knot, was commissioned by CBC's Documentary Channel and selected for Hot Docs' “Films Changing the World.” Drawing from years of investigative journalism covering human rights and gender equity in Dhaka, she brings an intimate, unsparing lens to domestic violence in South Asia—challenging the societal taboos and institutional silence that bind women.
Award-Winning Debut
Untying the Knot was commissioned by CBC's Documentary Channel and featured in Hot Docs 'Films Changing the World'.
Investigative Journalism
Extensive background covering human rights, gender equity, and social justice in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Canadian Film Training
Broadcasting & Film at Centennial College; alumna of DOC Toronto's competitive Breakthrough Program.