TORONTO: Pakistan has selected filmmaker Mohammad Ali Naqvi’s documentary ‘Hanging by a Wire’ as the country’s official entry for the 2027 Academy Awards.
The announcement was made by Sana Zahra Jafri, Deputy Chairperson of the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee, during the film’s premiere at the ongoing Mosaic International Film Festival in Canada.
The documentary has been selected to represent Pakistan in the Best International Feature Film category. It marks the first time Pakistan has selected a documentary for the category instead of a fictional feature film.
Story of the Battagram Cable Car Incident
‘Hanging by a Wire’ is based on the cable car accident that took place in Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in August 2023, when eight people, including six schoolchildren, were left stranded in a cable car around 600 feet above the Jhangiri River.
The film documents the nearly 12-hour rescue operation, involving Pakistan Army personnel as well as local zipline experts Ali Swati and Sahib Khan, who helped bring all eight people to safety.
Production and International Screenings
The documentary was written and directed by Mohammad Ali Naqvi, while Bilal Sami serves as its producer. It features footage recorded during the incident, eyewitness accounts, interviews with survivors and cinematic reenactments of the rescue operation.
‘Hanging by a Wire’ had its world premiere earlier this year in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival and was later screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The documentary is expected to be released in Pakistani cinemas later this year, although an official release date has yet to be announced.
