Pakistan has chosen Mohammed Ali Naqvi's documentary thriller «Hanging by a Wire» as its submission for the international feature film category at the 99th Academy Awards, marking the first time a documentary will represent the country in that race. The Pakistan Academy Selection Committee announced the selection, calling it a historic milestone for Pakistani documentary filmmaking.
The decision places a nonfiction work at the center of Pakistan's Oscar campaign for the first time, a shift that underscores the growing international visibility of the country's documentary sector. «Hanging by a Wire» is directed by Naqvi, whose work has previously drawn attention on the global festival circuit. The film is described as a documentary thriller, a label that suggests it blends investigative urgency with cinematic tension.
Pakistan has submitted films to the international feature category in past years, but those entries have typically been narrative features. By selecting a documentary, the committee signals a willingness to expand the definition of what can carry the national banner. The move also reflects a broader trend in recent Oscar cycles, where documentary filmmakers have increasingly crossed into categories traditionally reserved for fiction.
The 99th Academy Awards will take place in 2027, and the international feature race typically draws submissions from dozens of countries. Each nation's selection committee chooses one film, and the Academy's screening committees then narrow the field to a shortlist before final nominations are announced. For Pakistan, securing a spot on the shortlist would be a significant achievement, and simply submitting a documentary in the category is already being framed as a breakthrough.
Naqvi's film now enters a competitive landscape that includes entries from around the world. The international feature category has historically favored narrative dramas, though documentaries have occasionally made inroads. Pakistan's selection committee described the pick as a historic milestone, emphasizing that it opens new doors for documentary filmmakers in the country.
The film's title, «Hanging by a Wire», hints at themes of precariousness and tension, though specific plot details have not been widely disclosed. As a documentary thriller, it is expected to combine real-world reporting with a suspenseful structure, a style that has proven successful for other nonfiction works in recent awards seasons.
For Pakistan's film industry, the selection could bring renewed attention to local documentary production, which often operates with limited resources compared to narrative cinema. A successful Oscar campaign can raise the profile of a national cinema and lead to greater international distribution opportunities. The committee's choice also highlights the role of documentary as a form of cultural diplomacy.
The Academy's international feature category requires films to be produced outside the United States and to have a predominantly non-English dialogue track. «Hanging by a Wire» meets those criteria as a Pakistani production. The submission now moves into the Academy's vetting process, where it will be screened alongside other national entries.
Should the film advance, it would mark a rare achievement for a documentary in a category dominated by fiction. Regardless of the outcome, the selection has already made history for Pakistan, and it positions Naqvi's work as a focal point for conversations about the country's evolving film landscape.