India’s ‘Writing With Fire’ nominated for Best Documentary Feature at Oscars

PTI, Feb 8, 2022, 7:20 PM IST

Image courtesy: Music Box Films

New Delhi: Indian documentary feature “Writing With Fire” has made it to the final nominations list at the 94th edition of the Academy Awards.

The nominations were announced by Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan on Tuesday evening via the Twitter page of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, both debutants, “Writing With Fire” chronicles the rise of Khabar Lahariya, India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women.

The festival’s favorite film follows this ambitious group of Dalit wonder women – led by their chief reporter, Meera – as the team switches from print to digital in order to stay relevant.

Armed with smartphones and the courage and conviction one must be born with, they investigate the incompetence of the local police force, listen to and stand by victims of caste and gender violence, and challenge long-standing, harmful practices that lead to injustice and intimidation.

Other nominees in the category are: ”Ascension”, ”Attica”, ”Flee”, and ”Summer of Soul ( Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).

The awards ceremony is scheduled to be held on March 27.