The 94th Academy Awards nominations were announced on February 8, bringing in good news for India. Writing with Fire, a an Indian film directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, has won a nomination in the Best Documentary Feature category. The film is up against the documentary films Ascension, Attica, Flee and Summer of Soul (…or, When The Revolutions Could Not Be Televised) in the category.
Rintu Thomas posted a video of her and Sushmit’s reaction to the nominations announcement on Twitter. The video shows them and family members jumping with joy the moment the name of their film is announced. Rintu posted the 30-secomd video on Twitter, saying, “Oh My God!!!! Writing With Fire just got nominated for @TheAcademyAward. Oh My God!!!!!!!!
#OscarNoms #WritingWithFire.” Her tweet was met with several congratulatory messages from Twitterati.
Sushmit expressed his happiness on Instagram with a unique selfie. “@writingwithfire.film just got nominated for @theacademy awards!!!,” he wrote in the caption.
Writing with Fire is about the journalists running the Dalit women led newspaper Khabar Lahariya, as they shift from 14-years of print to digital journalism using smartphones. It is the first Indian feature documentary that was shortlisted for an Academy Award, and has managed to secure a nomination.
A Black Ticket Films production, the film’s website offers the following synopsis: In a cluttered news landscape dominated by men, emerges India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women. Armed with smartphones, Chief Reporter Meera and her journalists break traditions, be it on the frontlines of India’s biggest issues or within the confines of their homes, redefining what it means to be powerful.
Writing with Fire received unanimous acclaim from film festivals and critics, winning 28 international awards and critical acclaim from the press. It was named a “Critics Pick” by The New York Times, where it was reviewed as “Rousing…nothing short of galvanizing”. Writing with Fire has also been hailed by Jason Reizaian at The Washington Post as “The most inspiring journalism movie – maybe ever”.
