To Kill a Tiger, a film about a man in Jharkhand who takes on the fight of his life to demand justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the survivor of a sexual assault, was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 Academy Awards on Tuesday.
A poster of the film.
The film, a Canadian production directed by Delhi-born Nisha Pahuja, follows Ranjit’s uphill battle after the three men who abducted and brutally assaulted his daughter find support in villagers who force the family to drop the charges.
“We are here, at this moment, because a farmer in India, his wife and their 13-year-old daughter had the courage to demand her human rights,” Pahuja said after the Academy announced the nominations. Pahuja, who has previously been nominated for an Emmy for her 2012 documentary The World Before Her, is a Canadian citizen based in Toronto.
“It is our hope and intent that this film will encourage other survivors to seek justice, and that men stand with us in our fight for gender equality,” she said.
The nomination has come a year after two Indian productions won mainstream awards at the Oscars, The Elephant Whisperers, directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga won the award for the Best Documentary Short, while Naatu Naatu from SS Rajamouli’s pre-Independence themed RRR won for the Best Original Song.
Shaunak Sen’s All that Breathes, the story of two brothers who run a bird clinic in Delhi, was also nominated last year in the Best Documentary Feature category, but lost out to the Russian film Navalny, about the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The Oscars close out the year’s award season, so Academy judges are likely to track wins and buzz carefully before they vote.
To Kill a Tiger had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival 2022 where it won the Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film.
“Ranjit goes to the police, and the men are arrested. But Ranjit’s relief is short-lived, as the villagers and their leaders launch a sustained campaign to force the family to drop the charges. A cinematic documentary, ‘To Kill a Tiger’ follows Ranjit’s uphill battle to find justice for his child,” the film’s official website said.
“In India, where a rape is reported every 20 minutes and conviction rates are less than 30%, Ranjit’s decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of. With tremendous access, we witness the emotional journey of an ordinary man facing extraordinary circumstances,” it said.
The film was produced by Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim. It was nominated alongside Bobi Wine: The People’s President, The Eternal Memory, Four Daughters, and 20 Days in Mariupol.
“I am beyond thrilled... This is an extraordinary honour for the creative team behind this eight-year journey, and it’s a testament to the tireless group of women working outside the normal ecosystem to ensure this story is seen and does what it needs to in the world,” Pahuja added.
The 96th annual Academy Awards will be held on March 10 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. Jimmy Kimmel is returning to host the ceremony for the second consecutive year. This will be his fourth stint at the dais.
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