Writing with Fire
Ajyal Competition, Ajyal at Vox - Ajyal Film Festival 2021
Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh / Feature Documentary / India / 2021 / 93 min / Colour / DCP / In Hindi / Arabic, English subtitles / MENA Premiere
Rated: Mature subject matter which may not be suitable for minors. Parental guidance is strongly advised.Individuals under the age of 15 are not admitted into cinemas.
Synopsis
Amid a crowded, patriarchal news landscape emerges India's only newspaper run by Dalit (low caste) women. Chief Reporter Meera and her journalists break traditions, be it on the frontlines of India's biggest issues or within the confines of their homes, redefining what it means to be powerful. Following Meera and her journalists' personal and rapidly changing professional worlds, we see them negotiate obstacles and inch closer to their dream of becoming a relevant independent news agency. But how will Meera re-wire the traditional mindsets of a society that has never experienced the power of a Dalit woman with a smartphone?
'Writing With Fire' is a story of our times with modern Dalit women taking centre stage, not as victims of their circumstances but as writers of their own destiny. India now stands at an important crossroads, and the choices made now will define the very future of a nation. As powerful witnesses, Meera and her team diligently interpret and report on this decisive moment in India's history. In bringing together these different but deeply connected layers, the film stays close to its characters while exploring a country's deep, complex wounds and how women like Meera are treating these wounds—with compassion and persistence.
About the Director
Sushmit is an award-winning director-cinematographer whose films are used as tools for advocacy and education by organisations across the world. A Sundance Fellow, Sushmit’s work is also supported by the Sorfond, Bertha Foundation, Chicken & Egg Pictures, IDFA and the Finnish Film Foundation. Among the youngest recipients of the President’s Medal in India, Sushmit is interested in exploring new ways of using digital technologies to amplify storytelling in the digital era.
In his spare time, you’ll find him motorcycling through the Himalayas.
Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh are award-winning director-producers from India whose work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Tribeca Institute, Doc Society, SFF Film Fund, IDFA, and The Bertha Foundation, among others. Rintu and Sushmit are also Sundance Fellows who enjoy producing films that have the power to create transformative social impact. In 2009, they founded Black Ticket Films, a production company invested in the power of non-fiction storytelling. Rintu and Sushmit were recognised for their filmmaking work with a President’s Medal in 2012, the highest honour given to filmmakers in India.
Credits
- Director
- Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh
- Producer
- Sushmit Ghosh, Rintu Thomas
- Editor
- Sushmit Ghosh, Rintu Thomas
- Associate Producer
- Bhumika Tikhatri, Sumit Sharma
- Executive Producer
- Patty Quillin, Hallee Adelman
- Co-Producer
- John Webster, Tone Grottjord-Glenne
- Cinematographer
- Sushmit Ghosh, Karan Thapliyal
- Sales Company
- Autlook Filmsales GmbH
- Sound
- Susmit 'Bob' Nath
- Mixing
- Janne Laine
- Distributor
- Autlook Filmsales GmbH
- Cast
- Meera Devi, Suneeta Prajapati, Shyamkali Devi, Alima Tarannum, Alka Manral