Mohammed Ali Naqvi’s documentary “Hanging by a Wire” has been selected as Pakistan’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, marking the first time Pakistan has chosen a documentary for the category.
The film revisits the August 2023 Battagram cable car incident, when eight passengers, including six schoolboys, were left suspended hundreds of feet above a ravine after a cable snapped. The rescue operation continued for hours and involved local rescuers, government officials and military personnel.
Directed and produced by Naqvi, with Bilal Sami also serving as producer and writer, the documentary combines eyewitness accounts, archival footage and cinematic recreations. The film uses material recorded during the real incident alongside reenactments involving people connected to the rescue.
“Hanging by a Wire” premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition before screening at the Tribeca Festival in New York.
The selection gives the Battagram rescue story an opportunity to reach a wider international audience through Pakistan’s Oscar submission. However, being selected as Pakistan’s submission does not itself mean the film has received an Oscar nomination. The Academy’s international feature shortlist and final nominations will be announced later in the awards cycle.
The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 14, 2027, in Los Angeles.
