Hanging by a Wire: Pakistan picks Battagram rescue documentary for Oscars 2027
Hanging by a Wire: Pakistan picks Battagram rescue documentary for Oscars 2027
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has selected Hanging by a Wire, a documentary on the 2023 Battagram cable-car rescue, as its official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. The Pakistan Academy Selection Committee announced the pick on Friday, making it the first documentary the country has ever put forward for the Oscars.
What Hanging by a Wire is about
The film, directed by Muhammad Ali “Mo” Naqvi and written and produced by Naqvi with Bilal Sami, revisits the August 2023 emergency in Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Eight people, six of them schoolchildren, were left dangling about 900 feet above a ravine when a cable of their chairlift snapped. The lift was the only way for children in the area to cross the river, with no roads or bridges nearby.
The rescue held the country spellbound for more than 14 hours. Army helicopters managed to lift two of the children out during the day, but as darkness fell the operation passed to local rescuers, who rigged a makeshift zipline and brought the remaining six passengers down one by one through the night. All eight survived.
The film stitches together eyewitness footage, survivor testimony and staged reconstructions featuring the actual rescuers, and reviewers have described it as a documentary thriller.
Why Hanging by a Wire earned the selection
Hanging by a Wire premiered in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it contended for the Grand Jury Prize. It has since screened at the Tribeca, Seattle and Sydney film festivals, and holds an 87 per cent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film is a joint production of teams from Pakistan, the United States and the United Kingdom, with the Universe Pictures Content Group also attached. It has theatrical partners in the UK and US, and is scheduled to stream on Paramount+ from October 28. It plays next at the Bend Film Festival in Oregon.
Pakistan’s long road at the Oscars
Pakistan first submitted a film for the category in 1959 and has entered 13 films without securing a nomination. Its closest brush with the shortlist came when Saim Sadiq’s Joyland made the cut for the 95th Academy Awards. Recent entries include the hand-drawn animation The Glassworker and In Flames.
The Academy will announce the shortlist for Best International Feature Film later in the awards season.
Frequently asked questions
What is Hanging by a Wire about?
It is a documentary on the August 2023 Battagram cable-car rescue, in which eight people, including six schoolchildren, were trapped about 900 feet above a ravine for over 14 hours before all were rescued.
Who directed Hanging by a Wire?
Muhammad Ali “Mo” Naqvi directed the film. It was written and produced by Naqvi with Bilal Sami.
Has Pakistan ever been nominated for an Oscar?
No. Pakistan has submitted 13 films since 1959 without a nomination. Joyland made the shortlist for the 95th Academy Awards, the country’s best showing so far.
When are the 2027 Oscars?
The ceremony for the 99th Academy Awards is scheduled for 2027. The shortlist for Best International Feature Film will be announced during the awards season.
