Pakistan’s Oscar Entry ‘Hanging by a Wire’ Tops Paramount+ Chart

Pakistan’s Oscar entry, the documentary Hanging by a Wire, has climbed to number one on Paramount+’s movie chart in North America — the first Pakistani film ever to top the platform’s chart in the region.

According to a statement from the filmmakers, the film reached the top spot on 28 and 29 October and has stayed in the platform’s North American Top 10 ever since. It held on to first place over the Halloween weekend, ahead of popular titles including Dracula, Scary Movie and Rush Hour.

The run has not been limited to the United States. The film also reached number one on Paramount+ in Italy, peaked at number seven on Apple TV’s North American documentary chart, and sits at number two on Australia’s documentary chart.

The film tells the story of the August 2023 cable car emergency in Battagram’s Allai valley, when two of the chairlift’s three cables snapped and eight people — six schoolchildren and two adults — were left hanging about 900 feet above a ravine. All eight were brought down safely after a rescue operation that lasted around 14 hours.

Director Mohammed Ali Naqvi told The Hollywood Reporter on 21 October that he wanted to make a documentary for audiences beyond the usual documentary crowd. In his words, it is an action and thriller film that just happens to be built from real footage.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, in the World Cinema Documentary competition. Pakistan has chosen it as its official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards — the first time the country has ever sent a documentary in that category. It is expected to release in Pakistan in early 2027.

Pakistan has submitted a film for the Oscars 13 times since 1959 and has never secured a nomination. The closest it came was Joyland, which made the shortlist in 2022.