Nominated For 2022 Oscar, Writing With Fire Reveals The Risks Of Female Journalists In India

JAKARTA - The Indian film, Writing with Fire, made a brilliant achievement at the 2022 Oscars. This film was rewarded with a nomination in the Best Documentary Film category. In Indonesia, the film Writing with Fire can be watched via KlikFilm.

The film, by directors Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas, is about the lives of three female journalists, Meera Devi, Shyamkali Devi, and Suneeta Prajapati, who work for the weekly newspaper Khabar Lahariya.

Khabar Lahariya is at a crossroads because access to information is getting faster via digital channels. Like it or not, this media compromised by building a YouTube channel.

One day, some unknown men forced their way into someone's house and raped the owner of the house. This depraved act occurred several times in January. The victim and her husband reported this tragedy to the police. Unfortunately, the report was rejected.

Elsewhere, Suneeta covers the illegal mining in her hometown driven by the mafia. Without a clear standard of protection, one day the underground tunnel at the mine site collapsed. A number of workers died and there was no follow-up on this disaster.

Meanwhile, Shyamkali has difficulty responding to technological advances. This condition is exacerbated by husbands who commit domestic violence. The head of the family, who was supposed to protect him, stole Shyamkali's salary as a journalist. Disappointed with this treatment, he complained to the authorities.

Nothing wrong with the Academy Awards nominating Best Documentary Film for Writing with Fire. Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas provide a complex picture of the hardships of being a woman in India. There are many trigger factors.

The problem is, India contains a lot of inequality. There are still many journalists whose houses do not have electricity. In addition, the structure of society that still considers women as (sorry) second-class beings. Career women come home late at night being gossiped by neighbors is real.

Not to mention if he rents a house and the tenant is from a higher caste. Not only that, a sense of security for women is a rare item. It's no wonder that ahead of the election, candidates who ride political parties' vehicles are asked questions about the rise of rape cases that have evaporated from the police to the judges.

All of these problems, explained in a straightforward manner while photographing the complex socio-legal-political issues in India, have made Writing with Fire a documentary that speaks out loud by "borrowing" the lives of its characters.

Another fact, since 2014, more than 40 journalists have been killed in India. This data makes India one of the deadliest countries for journalists. No wonder this film questions the safety of female journalists.

The duration of 92 minutes does not feel long because the facts, data, and messages conveyed by Writing with Fire are both important and relevant for everyone.