‘Hanging by a Wire’ Makes History as Pakistan’s First Documentary Oscar Entry
October 2, 2026: Pakistan has selected Mohammed Ali “Mo” Naqvi’s documentary Hanging by a Wire as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, marking the first time Pakistan has selected a documentary for the Oscar category.
Documentary Revisits Battagram Cable Car Rescue
Hanging by a Wire tells the story of the dramatic August 2023 Battagram cable car incident, when eight people, including six schoolchildren, became stranded roughly 900 feet above a ravine after a cable snapped.
The rescue operation continued for hours and attracted widespread attention across Pakistan and internationally. All eight passengers were eventually rescued.
Mo Naqvi Directs the Film
The documentary is directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi, who also wrote and produced the project alongside Bilal Sami.
The filmmakers combine eyewitness footage, recordings made during the rescue, survivor accounts and cinematic re-creations involving people connected to the real incident. The approach gives the film a documentary-thriller style while keeping the real rescue at its center.
Film's International Festival Journey
Before being selected as Pakistan's Oscar entry, Hanging by a Wire premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary competition.
The film later screened at festivals including Tribeca, Seattle and Sydney, giving the Pakistani production an international festival presence.
A New Chapter for Pakistani Cinema
Pakistan first submitted a film for the International Feature category in 1959. According to reports, the country has made 13 previous submissions without receiving a nomination in the category. Joyland reached the shortlist in 2022, marking Pakistan's strongest previous showing in the category.
The selection of Hanging by a Wire therefore represents a new step for Pakistani documentary filmmaking, bringing a real story from northern Pakistan into the international Oscar race.
The film is produced through collaboration involving teams from Pakistan, the United States and the United Kingdom, with Universal Pictures Content Group among its production partners.
What Happens Next?
The selection makes Hanging by a Wire Pakistan's official submission, but it does not by itself mean the film has received an Oscar nomination. The Academy's international feature process will continue with submissions, voting and later stages before the final nominees are announced.
For Pakistan, however, the documentary's selection has already created a notable milestone: it is the country's first documentary entry in the Best International Feature Film category.
