As the season of love is ascending, it is pretty thrilling and perplexing to plan this week. Yet, the beauty of love lies in the intricate details expected to be taken care of. To make your week even better, the country got an Oscar nomination. It is a moment of sheer pride for the entire nation since the last Oscar nomination that the country received was 19 years before. Nevertheless, the question is, what is getting people all hyped up? Is it the fact that the movie got nominated for the Oscars, or is it the plot that explores the vulnerabilities of society?
‘Writing with Fire’ is an Indian documentary. It is directed by the filmmakers Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas. It got nominated in the category of ‘Best Documentary Feature’ for an academy award. This movie tells us the story of Khabar Lahariya. It is the only news agency in the country run by Dalit Women. Using smartphones, these journalists transition from print journalism to digital journalism. These women report from some of the country’s most remote and challenging areas and put their lives on the line only to seek the truth, which is confined in the shackles of lies.
The chief reporter of the news agency is “Meera,” and the crime reporter is Suneeta (whose character is portrayed in quite an aggressive way). The journalists are shown to do everything in their power to make them confront. The film has an essence of intelligence and compassion along with witty sparks. There is an understanding of the journalists in the movie and trying to bring out modern times’ most quintessential story. The film is set on the precedent of a polarized nation. The protagonist, Meera, with her sisters, takes us on a journey to break society’s conventionality and break the social walls that have been created over the years. They try to redefine the meaning of power through a concrete portrayal of their characters in the movie.
The film had a world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. It won two awards at the same festival- The Audience Award and a Special Jury Award: Impact for Change in the World Cinema Documentary category. Not only did it receive these awards, but it also is a recipient of twenty-eight international awards. In addition to this, international media houses like The New York Times and Washington Post have also hailed the film and deemed the movie to be nothing short of galvanizing.
This movie caught the international film industry’s eye but what made it connect to the people, especially in India, was its strenuous subject that revolves around the underprivileged and marginalized section of the society.
“Being a filmmaker, I can assure you about one thing, and that is people connected with this documentary emotionally. More than the happiness about getting nominated, it is the impact that the film creates on people’s minds.”
-Kartik Chauhan
Nevertheless, the time will tell us the academy awards winners this year, so mark your calendars (March 27, 2022) and do not miss this year’s Oscar awards.
Edited By- Subbuthai Padma
Published By- Bharat Anand
