Writing with Fire

Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh's 2021 documentary follows Khabar Lahariya, India's only newspaper run by Dalit women. Working with smartphones, chief reporter Meera and her colleagues report on the country's hardest subjects while contending with the limits inside their own homes. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for best documentary in 2022. Something alters how it reads today: the Khabar Lahariya team published a statement saying the film misrepresents their work, portrays them as focused on a single political party, and that in reality they cannot carry their caste identity as openly as it suggests, often working with discretion and fear. The directors said they stand by their portrait while acknowledging this may not be the film the team would have made about themselves. Knowing that objection while watching keeps open the question of whose story is being told by whom. Who it's for: viewers interested in caste, gender and journalism in India. Who it's not for: anyone unable to set aside the dispute between the documentary and its subjects, or avoiding content about violence and the reporting of rape.