Writing with Fire

Independent journalism is currently under threat in many parts of the world, and in these trying times, journalists’ experiences can occasionally lead to stories that are as compelling as the subjects they cover. That is especially true of the staff at Khabar Lahariya, India’s women-run news agency, which is the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Writing with Fire”. The film was screened yesterday in an event organized by the Royal Film Commission in cooperation with UNESCO, celebrating World Press Freedom day. Directed by Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas, Writing with Fire is the first Indian feature-length documentary nominated for an Oscar. It follows the editorial team of Khabar Lahariya in their transition from 14 years of print publication to digital medium. The film chronicles the experience of several women on the outlet’s editorial team, drawn largely from India’s oppressed Dalit caste, as they use smartphones, determination and compassion to shed light on scandals and tell the truth to those in power. Depicting the staff of Khabar Lahariya’s struggles, Writing with Fire offers the audience a glimpse into a world that may seem alien to those unfamiliar with India’s rigid caste system and unique sociopolitical environment, but it also brings in many familiar frustrations. For example, the challenges faced by women journalists — particularly in patriarchal environments – are widespread and well documented. The same is true about the difficulties many news outlets faced in transitioning to an increasingly online and digitally oriented audience. Journalism, democracy, and justice form a trio often intertwined with the lives of the three main protagonists, Meera, Suneeta, Shyamkali, whose visionary character and impetuosity cannot leave the audience indifferent. The opening scene is as heartbreaking as it is disturbing, and immediately introduces the viewer to the situation. The filmmakers keep their audience as close as possible to the journalists by the use of a shoulder camera, bringing a sense of deep intimacy, maintaining throughout the film a cycle of alternating feelings of injustice and hope, thanks to Meera, Suneeta, and Shyamkali. Showing everyday life to get justice The rural region of Uttar Pradesh, where the events are taking place, is one of the most populous in India, and there is very little media coverage. Yet, for almost three years, there have been problems like public sanitation, corruption, rape of Dalit women and a rise in religious nationalism. They are topics that the newspaper covers as a priority, but they can be dangerous. Changing society Writing with Fire is a story of power(s) and resistance, but there is a universal dimension to their story. Throughout the film, the viewer feels how invested the filmmakers have been in their attempt to make these women known and to infuse the inspiration that emanates from them. The film quickly takes over and gives the desire to stand up for oneself, to fight injustice and to make heard the voices that are silenced. Thomas and Ghosh’s approach is personal and intimate. There is no distance to the subject, and the film follows the newspaper’s journalists as they cover different stories (a dangerous mine run by a “mining mafia”, an epidemic of raped Dalit women, Dalit villages without indoor plumbing, and bigger stories like important local elections with national implications). When the women speak to the camera, there is a sense of familiarity and directness, suggesting how deeply the filmmakers have immersed themselves in the lives of their subjects. External pressures affect women’s work and vice versa. Meera is not doing as much as she would like for her children. Suneeta is not married and wants to continue like that, despite the pressure of her parents. Shyamkali has very little education. Her husband beat her when she refused to quit her job at the newspaper. ... The film’s directors find just the right balance of narrative to keep it intriguingly alien and familiar in equal measure.The women express their reality in practical tones, then plod back into the hostile world to do their job, making their way into rooms where they are unwanted. Despite the events in “Writing with Fire” playing worlds away from many viewers, the film does a wonderful job at finding the familiar in the reporters’ shared experiences. They report fatal mining accidents, local law enforcement dismissals of sexual assault cases, and the rise of Hindu nationalism in the country’s politics. Writing with Fire could easily have provided a detached observation of Khabar Lahariya and the wives of its editorial team, but the film’s directors find just the right balance of narrative to keep it intriguingly alien and familiar in equal measure. In doing so, they ensure that the film has as much to tell us about the women on the frontlines of journalism in India as it does about the world on our doorstep. Read more Entertainment Jordan News   (window.globalAmlAds = window.globalAmlAds || []).push('admixer_async_509089081')   (window.globalAmlAds = window.globalAmlAds || []).push('admixer_async_552628228') Read More A Journey through Kaouther Ben Hania’s ‘Four Daughters’ A dazzling spectacle with a familiar scene – Dune Part Two AlRawabi Season Two: high school, social media, and self-discovery