Writing With Fire: Indian documentary on Dalit female journalists lands Oscar nomination

Indian documentary feature Writing With Fire has made it to the final nominations list at the 94th edition of the Academy Awards. The nominations were announced by Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan on Tuesday evening via the Twitter page of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, both debutants, Writing With Fire chronicles the rise of Khabar Lahariya, India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women.

The festival favourite film follows this ambitious group of Dalit wonder women – led by their chief reporter, Meera – as the team switches from print to digital in order to stay relevant.

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Armed with smartphones and the courage and conviction one must be born with, they investigate the incompetence of the local police force, listen to and stand by victims of caste and gender violence, and challenge long-standing, harmful practices that lead to injustice and intimidation.

Other nominees in the category are: Ascension, Attica, Flee, and Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). 

Jane Campion’s gothic western The Power of the Dog led nominations to the 94th Academy Awards, where streaming services more than ever before swept over Hollywood’s top honours.

Campion’s film landed a leading 12 nominations, including nods for best picture, best director and all of its top actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Campion, a nominee for 1993′s The Piano, became the first woman to ever be nominated twice for best director. Last year, Chloé Zhao became just the second woman to ever win the award. Campion’s director of photography, Ari Wegner, also became the second woman ever nominated for best cinematography. The only previous woman to do so was Rachel Morrison for Mudbound in 2018.

Denis Villeneuve’s majestic sci-fi epic “Dune” followed closely behind with 10 nominations. 

The ceremony will be televised on March 27.

(With inputs from PTI)