Writing With Fire (2021)
(Sushmit Ghosh, Rintu Thomas, India 2021, 92 min., Hindi w/English subtitles)
Reporting from a society divided by caste and gender, a fearless group of women journalists all from the Dalit (“untouchables”) caste, maintain India’s only women-led news outlet, Khabar Lahariya ( meaning “Waves of News”). Armed with smartphones, Chief Reporter Meera and her team of investigative journalists confront two of India’s biggest issues: discrimination against women and 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 into account. The film was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2022 Academy Awards.