Documentary ‘Hanging by a Wire’ selected as Pakistan’s Oscar submission
At a glance
- 'Hanging by a Wire' is Pakistan's entry for the 99th Academy Awards' International Feature Film category.
- It is the first documentary ever submitted by Pakistan for this category.
- The film chronicles the dramatic rescue during the 2023 Battagram cable car emergency.
Story so far
Directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi, ‘Hanging by a Wire’ revisits the August 2023 cable car emergency in Battagram, where six schoolchildren and two adults were trapped high above a ravine for over 12 hours. The film, which combines real footage with survivor testimonies, has been selected by the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee as the country's entry for the Oscars, a first for a Pakistani documentary in the International Feature Film category. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in 2026.
Latest development
The documentary thriller ‘Hanging by a Wire’ has been selected as Pakistan’s official submission for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. This marks the first time a documentary has been chosen to represent the country in this category.
Responses
Latest Fact Checks
‘Hanging by a Wire’ selected as Pakistan’s Oscar entry
Mohammed Ali Naqvi’s documentary thriller ‘Hanging by a Wire’ has been selected as Pakistan’s submission in the International Feature Film category for the 99th Academy Awards, Variety, a global entertainment trade magazine, reported. The selection m
پاکستانی دستاویزی فلم ’ہینگنگ بائی اے وائیر‘ آسکرز 2027ء کیلئے منتخب
پاکستان کی اکیڈمی سلیکشن کمیٹی نے فلم ساز محمد علی نقوی کی دستاویزی فلم ’ہینگنگ بائی اے وایئر‘ کو آسکرز 2027 کے لیے منتخب کر لیا۔
Yeh ek ahem qadam hai hamare documentary filmmakers ke liye. Usually, fiction films get the main focus. I wonder if this selection will help build a more sustainable path for other non-fiction storytellers in Pakistan?