Islamabad: A documentary detailing the August 2023 Battagram chairlift rescue operation is set for a nationwide theatrical release across Pakistan later this year, following acclaim at international film festivals and screenings across the US and the UK.
Titled Hanging By A Wire, the film explores the dramatic 12-hour rescue of six schoolchildren and two adults who were left suspended 900 feet above the ground when two cables snapped on a local cable car in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Allai Valley. Directed, produced, and written by M Ali Naqvi alongside cowriter Bilal Sami, the documentary combines archival footage with testimonies from local heroes, military personnel, and community members.
Furthermore, M Ali Naqvi emphasised that the project aims to bring the bravery of local responders to a global audience. While the Pakistan Army aviation unit successfully rescued one child via helicopter under high risk wind conditions, the remaining seven individuals were brought to safety through a ground-based cable zip line operation executed by local experts Sahib Khan and Muhammad Ali Swati.
"This is an underdeveloped area, but the skill with which the locals carried out the rescue deserves immense appreciation," Naqvi stated. He noted that the film serves a dual purpose: celebrating local unsung heroes while drawing international attention to the severe lack of transport infrastructure in remote northern regions.
Cowriter Bilal Sami added that Pakistani stories focused on community resilience rarely receive international distribution platforms. The film incorporates original footage captured during the unfolding disaster, including drone sequences filmed by local shop owner Faisal and eyewitness mobile phone recordings.
