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Canada-based director’s film nominated in documentary category for Oscars
Nisha Pahuja’s film o Kill A Tiger tracks the harrowing journey of a family in Jharkhand to bring to justice the culprits in a sexual assault on a teenaged girl.
Toronto: Canada-based director Nisha Pahuja’s film To Kill A Tiger has been nominated in the Documentary Feature Film Category for the 96th Academy Awards, scheduled for March 10.
“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,” the director said in a statement.
The nominees were announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday. The documentary, which is set entirely in India, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2022 and won the Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film.
Pahuja’s film tracks the harrowing journey of a family in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand to bring to justice the culprits in a sexual assault on a teenaged girl. The quest of the victim’s father Ranjit, amid systemic bias against survivors of sexual violence, is at the core of the film.
“We’re 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, who was born in New Delhi, said.
In fact, Pahuja’s film received a theatrical release in North America this year, a rare feat for documentaries. It was supported by a stellar group of executive producers including British Indian actor Dev Patel, Indian-American film personality Mindy Kaling and Indo-Canadian poet Rupi Kaur.
The film was co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). NFB chairperson Suzanne Guevremont said, “Congratulations to Nisha Pahuja and her entire production team on a powerful film that follows the unprecedented journey of Ranjit and his courageous daughter as they fight for justice. Today’s nomination is a tribute to them as well as to Nisha’s dedication and vision as a talented filmmaker.”
The other nominees in this category include Bobi Wine: The People’s President, The Eternal Memory, Four Daughters and 20 Days In Mariupol.
“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,” Pahuja said.
