Yahoo News Bodyguard's Keeley Hawes to star in new ITV drama about honour killing
ITV has commissioned a new drama starring Keeley Hawes about a real-life honour killing.
Honour will star Hawes as detective chief inspector Caroline Goode, who takes charge of the investigation into the disappearance of 20-year-old Banaz Mahmod, a London woman whose murder was arranged by her father and uncle after she fell in love with someone of her own choosing.
The two-part series will explore how Goode pursued justice for Mahmod. It begins filming in September and is written by Gwyneth Hughes (Vanity Fair, Dark Angel, Remember Me).
However, Honour is already drawing some criticism online.
Related: Bodyguard's Keeley Hawes opens up about depression and her chemistry with co-star Richard Madden
Among the concerns are that the series has a white lead, writer and director; and that, by focusing on Goode as its protagonist, the series has a white saviour complex.
ITV have announced a drama about Banaz Mahmod. An Iraqi Kurdish Muslim woman who was the victim of a so called “honour” killing. It shifts the story from being about her to the white detective who “got her justice”. The project has a white lead, writer and director.
- Furquan Akhtar (@furquan) June 24, 2019
This is just wrong. And where White people need to be accountable in saying ‘this isn’t our story to tell’ and also shouldn’t be making it a White saviour story.
- Nicola Schofield (@NicSchofie) June 24, 2019
🤮 Not only incredibly disrespectful but so...dull. I'd much rather a drama around how 'honour' based violence is created and sustained and how communities react to it - from a non-white perspective.
- Sue (@glitteredsins) June 24, 2019
Okay, it’s a story that needs to be told sure (Although we’ve had plenty of Honour killing stories told, Murdered By My Father being a really powerful one) but do we need anymore told especially by a white writer, director & a white saviour lead
- Shibbir Ahmed (@Shibbir1) June 24, 2019
Earlier this year, Banaz's sister Payzee detailed her concerns that UK police aren't taking honour killings seriously enough in a Vice article, as Banaz reported concerns for her own safety to the police five times before her death.
However, that seems to be something the ITV series will address.
Related: Bodyguard's Keeley Hawes still gets asked if Julia Montague is still alive
"In a time where honour killings are still rife, it is critical to shine a light on such an important subject," Keeley Hawes said.
"Banaz Mahmod's story, and DCI Goode's subsequent investigation, is certainly one that needs to be told and I am proud to be a part of it."
A documentary based on Mahmod's tragic death titled When Missing Turns into Murder aired on the Crime and Investigation channel in April.
Honour will air on ITV.
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