The dramatic rescue of eight people trapped in a chairlift nearly 900 feet above the ground in Battagram is now being brought to Pakistani cinemas.
Titled Hanging By A Wire , the documentary tells the story of the 2023 Battagram chairlift rescue while highlighting the courage of local people who helped save all eight passengers.
Producer, director and writer M Ali Naqvi told reporters that the film aims to take the story of the region’s local heroes to a global audience.
The documentary also draws attention to the underdevelopment and poor infrastructure in the area, where chairlifts remain an important mode of transport, particularly for children travelling to school.
Much of the documentary features original footage captured during the actual rescue operation. Some drone footage was recorded by a local jewelry shop owner, while residents also filmed the unfolding events.
The documentary has already been screened in cinemas in the UK and the US and has also received attention at the Sundance Film Festival. It is now scheduled for release in Pakistani cinemas later this year.
On August 23, 2023, two cables of a chairlift in Battagram’s Allai Valley snapped, leaving eight people stranded while the lift hung from a single cable.
Pakistan Army personnel rescued one person using a helicopter. Zipline experts Ali Swati and Sahib Khan were then brought in to rescue the remaining passengers.
After a tense rescue operation lasting nearly 12 hours, all eight people were safely brought to the ground.
The documentary also explores the challenges that continue to face the area’s residents, including unsafe transport infrastructure that forces many local communities and schoolchildren to rely on chairlifts for daily travel.
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