Writing With Fire, About Dalit Women Reporters, Up For Best Documentary

New Delhi:

An Indian nominee popped up in this year’s Oscar list announced today. Writing With Fire, by filmmakers Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas, has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature – the first Indian nominee in this category. Writing With Fire documents the story of Khabar Lahariya, a newspaper run by Dalit women journalists. It follows the publication’s chief reporter and crime reporter as they cover news in some of the country’s most troubled regions. Writing With Fire has been directed, produced and edited by filmmaker duo Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas; Sushmit Ghosh also served as cinematographer with Karan Thapliyal.

Writing With Fire was well-received on the film festival circuit and has won a slew of prizes already, including a Special Jury Award and the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Two documentaries set in India have previously won Oscars for Best Documentary Short – Smile Pinki and Period. End Of Sentence.

Indian Twitter was excited all day Tuesday ahead of the announcement of the nominations for the 94th Academy Awards. Two films were included on the Oscars long list of eligible films – Suriya’s Jai Bheem and Mohanlal’s Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham. Neither film made the cut; the official Indian entry for Best International Feature Film, Koozhangal, failed to make the shortlist in December last year.

This year’s list of Oscar nominees is led by filmmaker Jane Campion’s The Power Of The Dog which has 12 nominations. These include Best Film, Best Director and four acting nods – Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch, Best Supporting Actress for Kirsten Dunst, and Best Supporting Actor for Kodi Smit-McPhee and Jesse Plemons. Dune follows with 10 nominations; Belfast and West Side Story have seven and King Richard has six nods including one for Will Smith who is up for Best Actor.