“Writing with Fire”, an in-class Indian documentary has made it to the headlines yet again. Previously, it made several headlines after its release and is now a topic of discussion once again. In a recent development, “Writing with Fire” has won an award in the 94th Academy Awards; it has been included in the category of Best Documentary. The documentary entered the final list of nominees for the 94th Academy Awards. It is directed by Lintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh and is the first documentary of the duo’s career. His co-director Ghosh told the media, “We are very happy. This is an important moment for us and for Indian cinema.”
Khabar Lahariya, published in Bundelkhand, is the only newspaper in India run solely by Dalit women. In the eight-page newspaper Khabar Lahariya, women journalists used to tell stories of social change, corruption, broken government promises, the poor and women. Since 2002, it has been published in many districts of Bundelkhand, including Chitrakoot. However, it closed its operations in 2015. For Khabar Lahariya, its founding NGO Nitar received the “2009 UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize”.
“Writing with fire” is also based on impeccable journalism. It has successfully achieved a special award by the Jury at the Sundance Film Festival. Apart from that, it has won more than 20 international awards till date. Presently, “Writing with Fire” is all set to bring back an Oscar home. In addition to “Writing with Fire,” four other documentaries from around the world also won a spot in the Academy Award for Best Documentary. The films in the list include “Ascination”, “Attica”, “Flea” and “Summer of Soul”.Jessica Chastain, Olivia Colman, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Kristen Stewart were nominated for the Oscars for Best Actress, while Steven S. Pierberg, Jane Campion, Paul Thomas Anderson were selected for the final list of best directors.
From an Indian perspective, the award ceremony holds great importance , as Surya’s ‘Jai Bhim’ and Mohanlal’s ‘Marakkar’ are two Indian films which got nominated as well. The Oscars will take place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on March 27th, 2022. It will be broadcasted live in more than 200 locations around the world.
