Hanging By a Wire to represent Pakistan at Oscars

Pakistan has selected Mo Naqvi’s documentary thriller Hanging By a Wire as its official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.

The selection is a milestone for Pakistani cinema as it marks the first time the country has chosen a documentary for the International Feature Film category.

The film revisits the dramatic Battagram cable car incident of August 2023, when six schoolchildren and two adults were left stranded hundreds of feet above the ground after a cable snapped.

Directed, written and produced by Naqvi alongside Bilal Sami, the documentary combines eyewitness recordings, accounts from survivors and cinematic recreations involving people connected to the rescue operation.

Naqvi said he was honoured to have the film chosen to represent Pakistan and expressed gratitude to the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee. He described the project as a real-life disaster story built around footage recorded by members of the local community during the rescue.

The filmmaker said the documentary also highlights the resilience and resourcefulness shown by people involved in the operation.

Sana Zahra Jafri, deputy chairperson of the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee, described the selection as an important moment for Pakistani documentary filmmaking and said it would take a remarkable story from northern Pakistan to the Oscar race.

Hanging By a Wire premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary competition. It has also been screened at film festivals in Tribeca, Seattle and Sydney.

The documentary is produced by EverWonder Studio, Universal Pictures Content Group, Mindhouse Productions and 64th Street Media.