Writing with Fire
New York Times Critic’s Pick
•
1h 36m
Directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh • Documentary • With Meera Devi, Suneeta Prajapati, Shyamkali Devi • 2021 • 98 minutes
2022 Acadamy Award Nominee for Best Documentary Feature! Reporting from a social environment built to divide based on caste and gender, a fearless group of journalists maintain India’s only women-led news outlet. The women of Khabar Lahariya (‘Waves of News’), all from the Dalit (“untouchables”) caste, prepare to transition the newspaper from print to digital even though many of their reporters don’t have access to electricity at home. Armed with smartphones, Chief Reporter Meera and her team of investigative journalists confront some of India’s biggest issues – exposing the relentless discrimination against women and amplifying the voices of those who suffer from the oppressive caste system.
WRITING WITH FIRE chronicles the astonishing determination of these local reporters as they empower each other and hold those responsible for injustice to account. Reaching new audiences through their growing platform, the women of Khabar Lahariya redefine what it means to be powerful in this timely and inspiring documentary.
"Rousing...nothing short of galvanizing." —Devika Girish, New York Times
Up Next in New York Times Critic’s Pick
-
Poly Styrene: I am a Cliché
Directed by Celeste Bell, Paul Sng • Documentary • With Ruth Negga, Thurston Moore, Kathleen Hanna • 2021 • 96 minutes
Poly Styrene was the first woman of color in the UK to front a successful rock band. She introduced the world to a new sound of rebellion, using her unconventional voice to sin...
-
Rocks in My Pockets
Directed by Signe Baumane • Animation • 2014 • 88 minutes
"Rocks In My Pockets" is a story of mystery and redemption. The film is based on true events involving five women of Signe Baumane's family, including herself, and their battles with depression and suicide. It raises questions of how much...
-
Mambar Pierrette (Rosine Mbakam)
Directed by Rosine Mbakam • Drama • With Pierrette Aboheu Njeuthat • 2023 • 93 minutes
Over the past decade, Cameroonian filmmaker Rosine Mbakam (Chez Jolie Coiffure, Delphine’s Prayers) has distinguished herself for her quietly observational documentary portraits of African women. With Mambar P...
