The Indian documentary film, ‘Writing With Fire’, has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category. Directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, the film is about a news organisation, Khabar Lahariya, and it has made it to the final-five list in the Best Documentary Feature category of the 94th Academy Award.
Speaking to the Indian Express, Ghosh explained that the film is about fearless Dalit women journalists who are redefining what being powerful means, quintessentially the story of the modern Indian woman. “We are beyond delighted. This is a massive moment for us and for Indian cinema. This is the first time an Indian documentary has been nominated for an Academy Award, so it has made history,” he said.
‘Writing with Fire’ also made it to the Sundance Film Festival in January and won the Special Jury (Impact for Change) and Audience awards. The film has bagged 28 international awards since, according to the Indian Express.
The journey of this documentary began six years ago. It explores the journey of Khabar Lahariya, a newspaper run by Dalit women in Bundelkhand, mapping its print-to-digital transition. According to IE, Ghosh had earlier stated that his and Thomas’ film production agency, Black Ticket Films, is invested in the power of non-fiction storytelling. “As filmmakers, Rintu and I have always been interested in amplifying stories of resilience and hope,” Ghosh had said.
This is not the first time that a film about Indian women has travelled to the Oscars. In 2019, Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi won the Best Documentary (Short Subject) for her film ‘Period. End of Sentence’. Another film, ‘Smile Pinki’, which was about a cleft-lip surgery changing the life of five-year-old Pinki Sonkar near Varanasi, won the Best Documentary (Short Subject) in 2009. The Oscars, organised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will reportedly be held on March 27 this year.