Pakistani documentary Hanging By A Wire, which chronicles the dramatic 2023 Battagram chairlift rescue and celebrates the courage of local residents, is set to reach cinemas across Pakistan later this year after international screenings.
Producer, director and writer M Ali Naqvi told Geo Digital that the documentary aims to introduce the local heroes behind the rescue to a global audience while highlighting underdevelopment and inadequate infrastructure in Battagram’s Allai Valley.
The film also focuses on children who continue using chairlifts to reach schools in mountainous areas where safer transport remains limited.
Original Footage Captures Dramatic Rescue Operation
Furthermore, the documentary incorporates original footage recorded as the crisis unfolded. Naqvi said local jewellery shop owner Faisal captured some drone footage, while residents recorded other scenes during the rescue.
On August 23, 2023, two chairlift cables snapped, leaving eight people suspended nearly 900 feet above the ground on a single remaining cable.
Pakistan Army personnel rescued one person by helicopter. Subsequently, zipline experts Ali Swati and Sahib Khan joined the operation to rescue the remaining seven.
After an operation lasting nearly 12 hours, rescuers brought all eight people to safety.
Film Highlights Local Heroes and Infrastructure Problems
Meanwhile, producer and writer Bilal Sami said stories involving Pakistan’s unsung local heroes rarely receive significant international attention.
Hanging By A Wire has already screened in cinemas in the United Kingdom and United States and was also presented at the Sundance Film Festival.
However, filmmakers say the documentary extends beyond recounting the rescue.
Naqvi said the team wants to draw attention to unsafe transportation faced by local children and work with NGOs on infrastructure improvements.
Despite international attention following the incident, residents maintain that chairlifts remain essential for communities and schoolchildren across the mountainous region.
