May 26: Indian filmmaker, Payal Kapadia, creates history at the Cannes Film Festival. Her Hindi-Malayalam feature, ‘All We Imagine As Light’,won the second most coveted Grand Prix Prize after Palme d’Or, making it the first Indian movie in 30 years to compete and win in the main category at the Cannes. The film received an 8-minute standing ovation after its premiere.
Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light‘: Synopsis & Cast
Written and directed by Payal Kapadia, the feature revolves around two nurses, Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and her roommate Anu (Divya Prabha), living in Mumbai. Prabha receives an unexpected gift from her husband, who left her and went to Germany. The two embark on a trip to a beach town where “the mystical forest becomes a space for their dreams to manifest.”The cast includes Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam. This film is an Indo-French production, a collaboration between Petit Chaos (France) and Chalk and Cheese Films (India).
To watch the trailer of the film, click here:
After receiving the award from American actor, Viola Davis, Kapadia thanked Cannes and the audience present with her speech “I’m very nervous, so I wrote something down. Thank you to the Cannes Film Festival for having our film here. Please don’t wait 30 years to have another Indian film. This film is about friendship, about three very different women. Oftentimes, women are pitted against each other. This is the way our society is designed and it is really unfortunate. But for me, friendship is a very important relationship because it can lead to greater solidarity, inclusivity and empathy,”
According to her interviews, Payal Kapadia spent five years making ‘All We Imagine as Light’. Additionally, her 13 minute short film “Afternoon Clouds”, based on the story of a 70 year old widow who develops an unlikely bond with her maid Malti, won Oeil d’Or for Best Short Film at Cannes in 2017. She also won the Golden Eye Award in 2021 for her documentary film “A Night of Knowing Nothing”.
The Lady Has Come a Long Way
Mumbai born, Payal Kapadia was an FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) alumna. Back in her time in the institute, she had been involved in the 139 day long protest against the appointment of actor-turned-politician Gajendra Chauhan, as the chairman of FTII, The students protested against his credibility as their head, and boycotted classes for which Kapadia faced disciplinary action by the institute and also, a charge sheet was filed against her, along with 35 more students for their participation in the protest.
Netizens on social media poured love and admiration for the historic success of Payal Kapadia at the international event. Several people from film industry applauded her big win on X.
Cannes on its official twitter account posted the victory of Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light. The festival this year was held from 14th May to 25th May at French Riviera, Sean Baker’s Anora won Palme d’Or this year.
PAYAL KAPADIA, lauréate du Grand Prix pour ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT.
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PAYAL KAPADIA, award winner of the Grand Prix for ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT.#Cannes2024 #Palmares #Awards #GrandPrix pic.twitter.com/nE16YOvLeC— Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) May 25, 2024
