A turbulent newsroom drama intimately chronicling the working days of broadcast journalist Ravish Kumar as he navigates a spiraling world of truth and disinformation. As factual reporting is in freefall globally, While We Watched is a dignified lens into the abyss.

Production notes

While We Watched, the documentary by talented director Vinay Shukla, is an absolute gem. The film’s world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival was received with great enthusiasm by the audience, as were the visiting director and the film’s subject. – –

While We Watched examines the depths to which journalism has sunk in India by following reporter Ravish Kumar, the face of the news network NDTV, as he struggles to provide factual news reporting, including criticism of the status quo, while continually at odds with the increasingly divisive, populist media which is gathering a majority of viewers, and with slander and even threats from the powers that be, and their followers among the general public. It is an account aimed not only at India but also, and rather pointedly, at other parts of the world where this process is in its developing phase. The situation presented in Indian media surpassed the worst fears of the western world regarding openly partisan, divisive, unashamedly post-truth news reporting.

Monica Reid, Far Out Magazine

The director Vinay Shukla is present in the screenings on Fri, Feb 3 and Sat, Feb 4.