Filmmaker Vinay Shukla’s documentary “While We Watched” featuring news anchor Ravish Kumar has won an award at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
It’s a movie titled Namaskar. According to a press release from the manufacturer, his main Ravish Kumar is Hindi and at the recently concluded film gala he won the Amplify Voices Award.
Other winners of the Amplify Voices Award included Nisha Pahuja’s To Kill a Tiger for Best Canadian Film and Martika Ramirez Escobar’s Leonore Will Never Die.
Wheel We Watched is described as a turbulent newsroom drama that details the days of broadcast journalist Ravish Kumar navigating a spiraling world of truth and disinformation.
“Through the lens of its protagonist, ‘While We Watched’ is about a man who hangs on faithfully even when everything falls apart. With news and media under more scrutiny than ever before, ‘While We Watched’ encourages viewers to understand themselves. We urge you to consider liability and negligence: the promise of a documentary that is bold, timely and globally relevant,” the official description read.
Vinay Shukla’s directorial debut Insignificant Man chronicles the rise of Delhi’s Prime Minister Arvind Kezhwal’s Amu Admi Party (AAP) and was screened at a prestigious film festival in 2016.
“I hope this film gives you hope when you need it” – Vinay Shukla, Director of While We Watched. Winner of the Amplify Voices Award #TIFF22 pic.twitter.com/ZbpSCjdlPB
—WhileWeWatched / नमस्कार मैं रवीशकुमार (@WhileWeWatched) September 18, 2022
The filmmaker said the journalist was “the greatest storyteller of our time”.
“I spent two years in Ravish’s newsroom watching him put together a daily broadcast. Watching him, for every report we see in the news, the journalist behind that report has paid the emotional, financial, ethical and spiritual costs. I noticed that there is
“There are no easy stories. Every story is personal. This film is about the personal costs journalists pay to do their job right. This film is a love letter to journalism,” Shukla said in a statement.
While We Watched is a UK production produced by LONO Studio and BRITDOC Films.