Pakistan has selected Mohammed Ali Naqvi’s documentary Hanging by a Wire as its submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, the ceremony commonly called the 2027 Oscars. The selection makes it Pakistan’s entry for consideration; it is not an Oscar nomination or confirmation that the film has reached the shortlist.
What is Hanging by a Wire about?
The documentary revisits the August 2023 cable-car emergency in Battagram, northern Pakistan, when eight passengers, including schoolboys, were stranded above a ravine after a cable failed. The film’s official description says the rescue story is told through footage recorded by community members, aerial and drone views, and recordings from inside the cable car, alongside accounts from people involved.
Rather than relying only on archival material and testimony, the film also uses cinematic reenactments performed by people who took part in the events. Sundance’s program description frames the story around rescuers and raises questions about class, whose expertise is trusted, and the shortage of adequate transport infrastructure in remote areas. Those are themes presented by the festival, not findings independently established by the documentary’s listing.
Who made the documentary?
Mohammed Ali Naqvi directed and co-wrote Hanging by a Wire; Bilal Sami is credited as producer and co-writer. Sundance lists the film as a United States/United Kingdom/Pakistan production, in English, Urdu and Pashto. Naqvi’s official director’s statement says: “What stayed with me most was the trust we built with the community.”
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Why is the selection notable?
Dawn Images and Geo News reported on October 2, 2026, that this is the first documentary selected to represent Pakistan in the Best International Feature category. That distinction should be attributed to those reports: an Academy or selection-committee archive confirming the country’s complete submission history is not cited in the available coverage.
Is Hanging by a Wire nominated for an Oscar?
No. Pakistan’s selection identifies the film as the country’s submission to the category. It does not mean the Academy has nominated the film, and it does not establish that it has been shortlisted. The selection was reported on October 2, 2026.
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When and where can you watch it?
The film premiered in the 2026 Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Documentary Competition. Abramorama acquired North American theatrical rights, with a New York opening planned for August 28, 2026, followed by a wider North American expansion and a streaming debut planned for the fourth quarter of 2026. Dogwoof lists a UK and Ireland theatrical release for August 28, 2026. The official distribution announcement does not name a streaming platform, and those plans do not establish current availability in any particular territory.
Catalog listings differ on runtime: Sundance lists 77 minutes, while the United Nations Association Film Festival lists 78 minutes. Check the screening or release listing for the version being shown.
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