Writing with Fire

2022-04-13T19:01:16Z

110.226.173.106: Fixed inaccurate information

{{Short description|2021 documentary by Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Writing With Fire
| image = Writing With Fire.jpeg
| alt =
| caption =
| native_name = 
| director = {{ubl|[[Sushmit Ghosh]]|[[Rintu Thomas]]}}
| writer =
| screenplay =
| story =
| based_on = 
| producer = {{ubl|Sushmit Ghosh|Rintu Thomas}}
| starring =
| narrator =
| cinematography = {{ubl|Sushmit Ghosh|[[Karan Thapliyal]]}}
| editing = {{ubl|Sushmit Ghosh|Rintu Thomas|[[Anne Fabini]]<br /> <small>(supervising editor)</small>}}
| music = {{ubl|[[Tajdar Junaid]]|[[Ishaan Chhabra]]}}
| production_companies = Black Ticket Films
| distributor = [[Music Box Films]] (United States)
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2021|01|30|[[2021 Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]]|ref1=}}
| runtime = 94 minutes
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget =
| gross = ₹ 16.58 lakh ($29,403)<ref name="BOM">{{Cite Box Office Mojo |id=13630174 |title=Writing with Fire (2021) |access-date=8 April 2022}}</ref><ref name=NUM>{{cite The Numbers|id=Writing-With-Fire-(2021-India)|title=Writing with Fire (2021)|The Numbers]]|access-date=8 April 2022}}</ref>
}}

'''''Writing with Fire''''' is a 2021 Indian [[documentary film]] directed by filmmakers [[Sushmit Ghosh]] and [[Rintu Thomas]] 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 to be nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature]].<ref name="OscarFirst">{{cite web |last=Ghosh|first=Tanushree|access-date=8 February 2022 |title=Oscar nominations 2022: Indian documentary ''Writing with Fire'' nominated in Best Documentary Feature category |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/oscar-nominations-2022-indian-documentary-writing-with-fire-nominated-in-best-documentary-feature-category-7763071/ |work=The Indian Express|date=8 February 2022}}</ref>

Produced under Ghosh and Thomas' Black Ticket Films banner, the film had its world premiere at the [[2021 Sundance Film Festival]], where it won two awards, the Audience Award and a Special Jury Award in the World Cinema Documentary category.<ref name="SundanceAwards2021">{{cite web |title=2021 Sundance Film Festival Awards Announced |url=https://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/2021-sundance-film-festival-awards-announced |publisher=[[Sundance Institute]] |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=2 February 2021}}</ref> It received unanimous acclaim from film festivals and critics, winning several international awards and critical acclaim from the press. It was named a "Critics Pick" by ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Girish |first=Devika |title=''Writing With Fire'' Review: Speaking Truth to Power |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/25/movies/writing-with-fire-review.html |url-status= |work=The New York Times|date=25 November 2021|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> and [[Jason Rezaian]] at ''[[The Washington Post]]'' called it "the most inspiring journalism movie — maybe ever".<ref>{{cite web |last=Rezaian|first=Jason|author-link=Jason Rezaian|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/01/india-writing-with-fire-khabar-lahariya-journalism/ |title=Opinion: The most inspiring journalism movie — maybe ever |work=The Washington Post |date=1 February 2021|access-date=9 February 2022}}</ref>

==Plot==
''Writing with Fire'' tells the story of ''[[Khabar Lahariya]]'', the only news agency in India run by [[Dalit]] (oppressed-caste) women. Armed with smartphones, these women journalists report from some of the most difficult regions of the country, risking everything to speak truth to power. Led by Chief Reporter Meera and her feisty understudy, crime reporter Suneeta, the film bears witness to wit, intelligence and compassion of these journalists in confronting the most urgent stories of our times.

Set in the backdrop of an increasingly polarized world, ''Writing with Fire'' journeys with Meera and her band of sisters for five years - as they break traditions on the frontlines of India's biggest issues and within the conﬁnes of their homes, redeﬁning what it truly means to be powerful.

==Reception==
===Critical reception===
The film has garnered a [[List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes|100% score]] on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] from critics based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 8.40/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Writing with Fire'' pays stirring tribute to the power of journalism -- and presents a chilling glimpse of the forces aligned against it."<ref>{{Cite RT |id=writing_with_fire |type=movie |title=Writing with Fire |access-date=11 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first1=Naman |last1=Ramachandran |title=Sundance Winner ''Writing With Fire'' Scores Raft of Global Sales, Reveals Trailer (Exclusive) |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/sundance-winner-writing-with-fire-global-sales-1235029178/ |work=Variety|date=28 July 2021|access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref> {{MC film |1=83 |2=11 |3=universal acclaim}}<ref>{{cite Metacritic |id=writing-with-fire |type=movie |title=Writing with Fire |access-date=11 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Jessica Kiang from ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reviewed the film as a "rousing, inspirational tribute to the pride of grassroots Indian journalism".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kiang |first=Jessica |title=''Writing With Fire'' Review: Rousing, Inspirational Tribute to the Pride of Grassroots Indian Journalism |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/writing-with-fire-review-1234900179/ |url-status= |work=Variety|date=5 February 2021|access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref> Inkoo Kang at ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' called the film "insightful and inspirational".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kang |first=Inkoo |title=''Writing With Fire'': Film Review {{!}} Sundance 2021 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/writing-with-fire-film-review-sundance-2021-4123315/|date=31 January 2021|access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref> while Kate Erbland at [[IndieWire]] reviewed it "profound".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Erbland |first=Kate |title=''Writing with Fire'' Review: Sundance World Cinema Doc Winner Is a Fearless Fight for Real News |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/02/writing-with-fire-review-sundance-documentary-1234614357/ |url-status= |work=IndieWire|date=3 February 2021|access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref> The ''Los Angeles Times'' called the film "a vital, stimulating dispatch from the frontlines of consequential citizen journalism"<ref>{{Cite news |last=Abele |first=Robert |title=Resourceful and unafraid, these women journalists in India are ''Writing With Fire''|work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-11-26/writing-with-fire-documentary-journalists-women-india|date=26 November 2021|access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref> while the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', giving the film a 5-star review, said "even Woodward and Bernstein would be inspired by the women reporters of India's ''Writing with Fire''".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=G. Allen |title=Even Woodward and Bernstein would be inspired by the women reporters of India's ''Writing With Fire'' |work=San Francisco Chronicle
|url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/review-even-woodward-and-bernstein-would-be-inspired-by-the-women-reporters-of-indias-writing-with-fire|date=1 December 2021|access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref>

==Accolades==
Following its release, ''Writing with Fire'' was showcased at numerous film festivals and won several awards, including the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Impact for Change and the World Cinema Documentary Competition Audience Award at the [[2021 Sundance Film Festival]].<ref name="SundanceAwards2021" /> In December 2021, it was announced that the film had entered the shortlist of candidates for the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature]] in the [[94th Academy Awards]] in 2022,<ref>{{cite web |last=Ghosh|first=Tanushree|access-date=26 December 2021 |title=Indian documentary ''Writing with Fire'' enters Oscars 2022 shortlist |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/indian-documentary-writing-with-fire-enters-oscars-2022-shortlist-7684864/ |work=The Indian Express|date=23 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |access-date=26 December 2021 |title=''Pebbles'' out of Oscars 2022 race, ''Writing With Fire'' advances to next level |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/pebbles-out-of-oscars-2022-race-writing-with-fire-advances-to-next-level/article38010118.ece |newspaper=The Hindu |date=22 December 2021 |issn=0971-751X }}</ref> and the next February it was announced that it had been nominated in this category.<ref name="OscarFirst" />

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Date of ceremony
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Recipient(s)
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |{{Refh}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[94th Academy Awards|27 March 2022]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature|Best Documentary Feature]]
| Rintu Thomas and [[Sushmit Ghosh]]
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nordyke |first1=Kimberly |last2=Strause |first2=Jackie |last3=Lewis |first3=Hilary |title=Oscars: Full List of Nominations |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oscar-nominations-2022-nominees-list-1235088770/ |access-date=16 February 2022 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=8 February 2022 |archive-date=8 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208153404/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oscar-nominations-2022-nominees-list-1235088770/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[Asia Pacific Screen Awards]]
| [[14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards|11 November 2021]]
| [[Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Documentary Feature Film|Best Documentary Feature Film]]
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |last1=Complex |first1=Valerie |title=Asia Pacific Screen Academy Announces Nominees For 14th Annual Awards Ceremony |url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/asia-pacific-screen-academy-announces-nominees-14th-awards-1234855082/ |website=Deadline |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=12 October 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[Belfast Film Festival]]
| 13 November 2021
| Maysles Brothers Award for Feature Documentary
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |
|-
! scope="row"| [[Bergen International Film Festival]]
| 28 October 2021
| Checkpoints Award for Best Human Rights Documentary
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |title=Årets prisvinnere! |url=https://www.biff.no/article/arets-prisvinnere-2021 |website=[[Bergen International Film Festival]] |access-date=16 February 2022 |language=Norwegian}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" |[[BlackStar Film Festival]]
| rowspan="2"| 9 August 2021
| Best Documentary Feature
| ''Writing with Fire''
| {{won}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jeffrey |first1=Andrew |title=''Writing With Fire'' leads non-fiction winners at BlackStar Film Festival |url=https://realscreen.com/2021/08/11/writing-with-fire-leads-non-fiction-winners-at-blackstar-film-festival/ |website=Realscreen |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=11 August 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Audience Award – Best Documentary Feature
| ''Writing with Fire''
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" |[[Cinema Eye Honors]]
| rowspan="2"|[[15th Cinema Eye Honors|1 March 2022]]
| Audience Choice Prize
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/11/2022-cinema-eye-honors-complete-nominations-list-flee-summer-of-soul-1234871458/|title=''Flee'' & ''Summer Of Soul'' Lead Cinema Eye Honors Nominations|website=Deadline|first=Matt|last=Grobar|date=10 November 2021|access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref>
|-
| The Unforgettables
| Meera Devi
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[Dokufest]]
| 14 August 2021
| Truth Dox
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |last1=Petković |first1=Vladan |title=''We'' and ''Reconciliation'' triumph at DokuFest in Prizren |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/408980/ |website=Cineuropa |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=17 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Winners of Dokufest XX |url=https://dokufest.com/en/dokustories/article/winners-of-dokufest-xx |website=[[Dokufest]]|access-date=16 February 2022 |date=15 August 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[Films from the South|Films from the South Festival]]
| 18 November 2021
| Doc:South Award
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |title=And the Winners are... |url=https://www.filmfrasor.no/en/news/%C3%A5rets-prisvinnere-2 |website=[[Films from the South|Films from the South Festival]] |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=18 November 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[International Documentary Association#IDA Documentary Awards|IDA Documentary Awards]]
| 4 March 2022
| Best Feature
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |title=Nominees Revealed for the 37th Annual IDA Documentary Awards |url=https://www.documentary.org/press-release/nominees-revealed-37th-annual-ida-documentary-awards |publisher=International Documentary Association |access-date=29 January 2022 |date=15 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hipes |first1=Patrick |title=IDA Awards Shifts 2022 Ceremony To March As Virtual-Only Event |url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/ida-awards-2022-ceremony-changes-date-virtual-only-1234905231/ |website=Deadline |access-date=29 January 2022 |date=6 January 2022}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam]]
| 26 November 2021
| NPO IDFA Audience Award
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |title=Writing with Fire wins the NPO IDFA Audience Award |url=https://www.idfa.nl/en/article/166943/writing-with-fire-wins-the-npo-idfa-audience-award |website=[[International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam]] |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=26 November 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[Kraków Film Festival]]
| 5 June 2021
| Silver Horn for Best Film on Social Issues
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |title=61st Krakow Film Festival Winners Announced |url=https://www.krakowfilmfestival.pl/en/61st-krakow-film-festival-winners-announced/ |website=[[Kraków Film Festival]] |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=5 June 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[Kyiv International Film Festival "Molodist"]]
| 5 June 2021
| Best Documentary
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |title=The Awards Ceremony |url=https://molodist.com/en/article/projsla-urocista-ceremonia-nagorodzenna-peremozciv-50-go-uvilejnogo-kinofestivalu-molodist |website=KIFF Molodist |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=5 June 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[Mountainfilm]]
| 31 May 2021
| Special Jury Prize – Best Documentary Feature
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |
|-
! scope="row"|[[Producers Guild of America Award]]s
| [[33rd Producers Guild of America Awards|19 March 2022]]
| [[Producers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Motion Picture|Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures]]
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{nom}}
| align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Erik |title=PGA Awards Nominations: ''Licorice Pizza'', ''Don't Look Up'', ''Dune'', ''King Richard'' & ''CODA'' Among Pics Vying For Marquee Prize |url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/pga-awards-nominations-2022-producers-guild-1234920746/ |website=Deadline |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=27 January 2022}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[San Francisco International Film Festival]]
| 17 April 2021
| McBaine Documentary Feature Award
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |title=SFFILM Announces Golden Gate Awards and Audience Awards Winner at 2021 San Francisco International Film Festival|url=https://sffilm.org/sffilm-announces-golden-gate-award-and-audience-award-winners-at-2021-san-francisco-international-film-festival/ |website=[[San Francisco International Film Festival]] |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=17 April 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[Seattle International Film Festival]]
| 18 April 2021
| Special Jury Prize – Documentary Competition
| ''Writing with Fire''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |title=SIFF 2021 Award Winners |url=https://www.siff.net/news/siff-2021-award-winners |website=[[Seattle International Film Festival]] |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=18 April 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3" |[[Social Impact Media Awards]]
| rowspan="3"|10 February 2022
| Best Documentary
| ''Writing with Fire''
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web |title=#SIMA2022 Winners Announced |url=https://simaawards.org/sima-2022-winners-press-release/ |website=[[Social Impact Media Awards]] |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=10 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2022 Winners |url=https://simaawards.org/2022-winners/ |website=[[Social Impact Media Awards]] |access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2022 Finalists |url=https://simaawards.org/2022-finalists/ |website=[[Social Impact Media Awards]] |access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref>
|-
| Best Director
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Cinematography
| Sushmit Ghosh and Karan Thapliyal
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" |[[Sundance Film Festival]]
| rowspan="2"|[[2021 Sundance Film Festival|2 February 2021]]
| Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|<ref name="SundanceAwards2021" />
|-
| World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Impact for Change
| Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" |[[Valladolid International Film Festival]]
| rowspan="2"|30 October 2021
| Time of History Award
| ''Writing with Fire''
| {{won}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite news |last1=Foreman |first1=Liza |title=Pan Nalin's ''Last Film Show'' Tops Valladolid |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/festivals/valladolid-film-festival-2021-winners-1235101739/ |access-date=16 February 2022 |work=Variety |date=1 November 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Fundos Award
| ''Writing with Fire''
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[Wisconsin Film Festival]]
| 20 May 2021
| Audience Favorite Documentary Feature
| ''Writing with Fire''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |title=Wisconsin Film Festival Awards |url=https://wifilmfest.org/awards/ |website=[[Wisconsin Film Festival]]|access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2021 Wisconsin Film Festival Film Guide |url=https://wifilmfest.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/1554/2021/04/WFF2021Guide_final_SinglePageSSS.pdf |publisher=[[Wisconsin Film Festival]] |access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| [[Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival]]
| 14 October 2021
| Citizens' Prize
| ''Writing with Fire''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cho |first1=Suzie |title=Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2021 Announces Award Winners |url=https://asianmoviepulse.com/2021/10/yamagata-international-documentary-film-festival-2021-announces-award-winners/ |website=Asian Movie Pulse |access-date=16 February 2022 |date=15 October 2021}}</ref>
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.writingwithfire.in/}}
* {{IMDb title|tt13630174}}

[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian documentary films]]
[[Category:Documentary films about women in India]]
[[Category:Documentary films about journalists]]
[[Category:Documentary films about technology]]
[[Category:Dalit culture]]
[[Category:Indian journalism]]
[[Category:Indian women journalists]]
[[Category:Women in Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Films shot in Uttar Pradesh]]

Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Writing with Fire