Director Mo Naqvi's Hanging By a Wire plunges audiences into the harrowing real-life events of August 2023, when a cable car carrying six schoolchildren and two adults became perilously stranded 900 feet above the ground in a remote, mountainous region of Battagram, northern Pakistan. The film, co-written and produced by Naqvi and Bilal Sami, transforms this widely reported incident into a pulse-pounding documentary thriller.

The film masterfully blends eyewitness footage captured by the local community, compelling survivor testimonies, and dramatic cinematic reconstructions involving actual participants in the rescue. This unique approach allows the narrative to unfold with an immediacy and authenticity that distinguishes it from traditional disaster films.

"It’s a straight-up disaster film, except it really happened, and you’re watching real footage of it unfolding live," Naqvi told Deadline. He emphasized the collaborative spirit behind the project, noting, "The community on the ground filmed it themselves and trusted me with that footage, so in a real sense they co-authored this film with me. How resilient and resourceful they were, both in the rescue and in documenting it, is what the film is about, and there’s nothing more Pakistani than that."

The perilous nature of daily life in the region is a key backdrop, as Naqvi explained in a Sundance 'Meet the Filmmaker' video, where he highlighted the dangers of the makeshift cable cars essential for mountain travel. The film also shines a light on the extraordinary individuals who spearheaded the rescue efforts, including Sahib Khan, a local cable car repairman affectionately known as a “sky pirate” for his daring aerial feats, and Ali Swati, who brought crucial zipline equipment to the scene. Overseeing the complex operation was Sonia Shamroz, the district's no-nonsense head of police.

Hanging By a Wire made its world premiere in the World Cinema Documentary competition at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, earning critical acclaim. It has since captivated audiences at the Tribeca Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival, and the Sydney Film Festival in Australia, with an upcoming screening at the Bend Film Festival in Oregon. Produced by EverWonder Studio, Universal Pictures Content Group, Mindhouse Productions, and 64th Street Media, the documentary is set for theatrical distribution by Dogwoof in the U.K. and Abramorama in the U.S., with a streaming release on Paramount+ scheduled for later this month.

Sana Zahra Jafri, deputy chairperson of the Pakistan Academy Selection Committee, underscored the significance of the selection, stating, "The selection marks a historic milestone for Pakistani documentary filmmaking and brings an extraordinary story from northern Pakistan to the International Feature Film Oscar race."