All We Imagine as Light
All We Imagine as Light | |
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Directed by | Payal Kapadia |
Written by | Payal Kapadia |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Ranabir Das |
Edited by | Clément Pinteaux |
Music by |
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Production companies |
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Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 115 minutes |
Countries |
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Languages | Malayalam Hindi Marathi |
Box office | $1.9 million[1] |
All We Imagine as Light is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Payal Kapadia. The cast includes Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam and Hridhu Haroon. The film was an international co-production involving companies from France, India, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy.
Shot in Malayalam, Hindi and Marathi languages, All We Imagine as Light premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 23 May 2024.[2][3] It was the first film from India to compete in the main competition since 1994, and won the Grand Prix.
It was given a limited release in Kerala, India, on 21 September 2024,[4] before opening wide on 29 November 2024 to positive reviews.[5] It topped the Sight & Sound poll for best film of 2024, and was named one of the top five international films of 2024 by the National Board of Review.[6][7] At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, it received two nominations for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director for Kapadia.[8]
Plot
[edit]Prabha and Anu are Malayali nurses living together in Mumbai. Prabha is straitlaced and upright, and yearns for her husband who migrated to Germany soon after their marriage. Anu is more outgoing, and is having a secret affair with a Muslim man named Shiaz.[9] A doctor, Manoj, tries to woo Prabha, but she rejects his advances, claiming her marital status. One day, Prabha and Anu receive a modern rice cooker from an unknown sender.
Prabha tries to help the cook at their hospital, Parvaty, fight against a capitalistic builder who wants to demolish Parvaty's chawl to build a high-rise. Unable to claim legal tenancy, Parvaty decides to quit her job and move back to her village in Ratnagiri. Prabha and Anu travel with her, to help her relocate.
Unbeknownst to Prabha and Parvaty, Shiaz has followed Anu. They secretly meet up and have sex, which Prabha discovers. Meanwhile, Prabha rescues a middle-aged man from drowning by resuscitating him with CPR. While he is waiting for the local doctor, Prabha cleans and cares for him. She begins having a conversation with him, transforming him into her husband. He apologises for abandoning her and seeks her apology, before kissing her.
Late at night at a beach shack, a much-happier Prabha asks a surprised Anu to invite Shiaz to sit with them. They all sit together, happily, as the lights of the shack shine over them.
Cast
[edit]- Kani Kusruti as Prabha
- Divya Prabha as Anu
- Chhaya Kadam as Parvaty
- Hridhu Haroon as Shiaz
- Azees Nedumangad as Dr. Manoj
- Tintumol Joseph as Nurse Shanet
- Anand Sami as Drowned Man
Production
[edit]The film was produced by Thomas Hakim and Julian Graff through their French-based company Petit Chaos, in co-production with the Indian companies Chalk & Cheese and Another Birth, as well as by the Netherlands's BALDR Film, Luxembourg's Les Films Fauves, Italy's Pulpa Films and France's Arte France Cinéma. Hakim first met Kapadia at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival in 2018. This was the first feature film produced by Chalk & Cheese, which previously produced commercials for nine years.[10][11]
Kapadia used money from the Huub Bals grant and Cinéfondation to reside in Europe in order to plan the film production with Hakim. Financing for the film was obtained from Arte, Cineworld, CNC, Condor, Eurimages, Gan Foundation, Hubert Bals Fund, Luxbox, Pulpa Film, and Visions Sud Est.[10]
Filming was done in Mumbai over the course of twenty-five days and then in Ratnagiri for fifteen days.[10]
Release
[edit]All We Imagine as Light was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 23 May,[12] and received an eight minute standing ovation at the end of its screening.[13][14] This is the first film from India to compete in the main competition at Cannes since Swaham in 1994, and Kapadia is the first Indian female filmmaker to do so.[10] It won the Grand Prix, becoming the first Indian film to do so.[15]
On 9 September 2024, it was announced that Spirit Media, founded by Indian actor Rana Daggubati, had acquired Indian distribution rights to the film.[16] Spirit Media announced that the film would begin its Oscar-qualifying release with a limited theatrical release in Kerala starting on 21 September under the Malayalam title 'പ്രഭയായി നിനച്ചതെല്ലാം' i.e. Prabhayay Ninachathellam.[17]
The film has been selected as the opening film for the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024.[18] The film will be released theatrically in India on 22 November 2024.[19][20]
Janus Films and distribution partner Sideshow acquired the North American rights for the film on 20 May 2024,[21] and released the film on 15 November 2024 in New York and Los Angeles, with a nationwide expansion planned.[22] The film was also played at the Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September 2024.[23] It was released in France by Condor Distribution on 2 October 2024.[24] It was featured in the accolades section of the 55th IFFI.[25][26]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 113 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Capturing the here and now of modern India with the spontaneity of a candid photograph, All We Imagine as Light is a lustrous achievement that announces Payal Kapadia as an essential filmmaker."[27] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 94 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[28] On AlloCiné, the film received an average rating of 3.8 out of 5, based on 31 reviews from French critics.[29]
Peter Bradshaw, writing in The Guardian, gave the film five stars and praised it as an "absorbing story of three nurses that is full of humanity".[30] Nicholas Barber, writing in the BBC, also gave the film five stars.[31]
The British film magazine Sight & Sound named it the best film of 2024 in its poll of over 100 critics worldwide.[6]
Academy Awards selection controversy
[edit]For the 97th Academy Awards, All We Imagine As Light was not selected to be submitted by either France or India, with the former submitting Emilia Pérez, and the latter submitting Laapataa Ladies. The film had been shortlisted for France's submission.[32] The Film Federation of India's (FFI) decision to not submit the film was unexpected, with NPR's Diaa Hadid remarking that the film's international reception had "garnered raised hopes that India might finally have a serious contender for an Oscar in the best foreign film category".[33] Many like Naman Ramachandran of Variety drew comparisons to India's decision to not select The Lunchbox (2013) and RRR (2022) for its Academy Awards submissions, particularly in light of the film's success at the Cannes Film Festival with it having won the Grand Jury Prize, and with both the movie and Kapadia receiving nominations at the 82nd Golden Globes.[citation needed]
At the initial news announcing the selection of Laapataa Ladies, FFI president Ravi Kottarakara explained All That We Imagine As Light's exclusion, saying "The jury said that they were watching a European film taking place in India, not an Indian film taking place in India".[34] Justifying its selection, the FFI noted on Laapataa Ladies, "Indian women are a strange mixture of submission and dominance. Well-defined, powerful characters in one world, a Laapataa Ladies (Hindi) captures this diversity perfectly, though in a semi-idyllic world and in a tongue-in-cheek way".[34] Kapadia responded to the controversy by expressing her appreciation for Kiran Rao's works, saying to Indiewire “I just think it’s really great that there are two films from India that are doing this well, and they’re both by women”.[35]
On December 17th, the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences released its shortlist for a variety of categories, including best International Feature Film, and India's selection (Laapataa Ladies) was not selected, triggering a renewed discussion on the decision to "snub" the film.[36] Industry figures like director Hansal Mehta and Ricky Kej publicly voiced their discontent with the FFI's decision to not send All We Imagine As Light, with the former sarcastically remarking "Film Federation of India does it again! Their strike rate and selection of films year after year is impeccable".[37]
In light of the renewed controversy following the release of the Academy Award shortlist, Jahnu Barua, the head of the 13-member all-male jury remarked to the Hindustan Times that people ought to be "respectful of the process".[38]
"That is very uncalled for actually. Why should people say such things? It is very unfortunate. People should try to accept it as the jury’s decision. I have had many of my films go to many competitions, at some places they were awarded, and at some places, they failed to win. That doesn’t mean I should have a negative review of that process... We should be respectful towards the process"[38]
Elaborating on the explicit decision to not consider All That We Imagine As Light, Barua said “The jury felt that her film was very poor technically”.[38] As of 2024, India has only ever been nominated thrice at the Best International Feature Film (formerly Best Foreign Language Film) for Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay (1988), and Lagaan (2001).[citation needed]
Accolades
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ This award does not have a single winner, but recognizes multiple films.
References
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- ^ "Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light is first Indian film in 30 years to make it to Cannes' competition section". Indian Express. 11 April 2024. Archived from the original on 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ Chhabra, Aseem (24 May 2024). "All We Imagine as Light: Indian sisterhood story earns glowing reviews at Cannes". BBC Home. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Cannes winner 'All We Imagine As Light' to be released in limited screens in Kerala on Saturday". 19 September 2024. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ Loughrey, Clarisse (28 November 2024). "All We Imagine as Light's beautiful loneliness will speak to your soul". Archived from the original on 29 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024 – via www.independent.co.uk.
- ^ a b Das, Ananya (7 December 2024). "Payal Kapadia reacts as All We Imagine As Light named best 2024 film by Sight and Sound magazine: 'Astounded, grateful'". Hindustan Times. HT Media Group. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "2024 Archives". National Board of Review. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ Das, Santanu (9 December 2024). "Golden Globe Awards 2025: Payal Kapadia scripts history, scores Best Director nomination for All We Imagine As Light". Hindustan Times.
- ^ Chang, Justin (14 November 2024). "The Gorgeous Mumbai Rhapsody of 'All We Imagine as Light'". The New Yorker.
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- ^ Das, Santanu (25 May 2024). "Cannes Film Festival: All We Imagine As Light scripts history, becomes first Indian film to win Grand Prix". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (9 September 2023). "'Baahubali' Star Rana Daggubati's Spirit Media Acquires India Rights to Payal Kapadia's Cannes Winner 'All We Imagine as Light'". Variety.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (18 September 2023). "Cannes Prizewinner 'All We Imagine as Light' to Begin Indian Oscar-Qualifying Run With Kerala Theatrical Release". Variety. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ Scroll Staff (9 October 2024). "MAMI Mumbai Film Festival will open with Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine as Light'". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 10 October 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
- ^ "Payal Kapadia's Cannes winner All We Imagine As Light to release in India on this date - Check details here". Hindustan Times. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ "Payal Kapadia's Cannes winner 'All We Imagine As Light' to release on November 22". The Times of India. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (20 May 2024). "Sideshow, Janus Films Buy Payal Kapadia's Cannes Competition Entry 'All We Imagine as Light' for North America (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (22 August 2024). "Indian Oscar Hopeful and Cannes Grand Prix Winner 'All We Imagine as Light' Sets U.S. Fall Release Date (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
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- ^ Das, Arti (25 November 2024). "Lone Cannes-winning Indian film at 55th IFFI in Goa". Goa News on Gomantak Times.
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- ^ "Critiques Presse pour le film All We Imagine as Light" (in French). AlloCiné. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (23 May 2024). "All We Imagine As Light review – dreamlike and gentle modern Mumbai tale is a triumph". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024.
- ^ Barber, Nicholas (24 May 2024). "All We Imagine as Light review: Will this 'magical' ode to nocturnal Mumbai win the Palme d'Or?". BBC. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light shortlisted by France for Oscars". The News Minute. 17 September 2024.
- ^ Hadid, Diaa (16 December 2024). "Loved abroad, the Indian movie 'All We Imagine as Light' is snubbed at home". NPR.
- ^ a b "Film Federation of India calls All We Imagine as Light 'a European film', reveals why it wasn't India's entry to Oscars". Hindustan Times. 1 October 2024. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Zilko, Vincent Perella,Christian (3 December 2024). "Payal Kapadia Not Upset 'All We Imagine as Light' Wasn't India's Oscar Pick, Appreciates That Another Film by a Woman Was Chosen". IndieWire. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
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External links
[edit]- 2024 films
- 2024 independent films
- 2020s Indian films
- Films set in Mumbai
- Indian drama films
- Indian independent films
- 2020s Malayalam-language films
- 2020s Marathi-language films
- Indian multilingual films
- Films shot in Mumbai
- Films shot in Ratnagiri
- Films shot in Maharashtra
- Arte France Cinéma films
- 2020s French films
- 2020s Italian films
- Dutch drama films
- Luxembourgian drama films
- Italian drama films
- French drama films
- Cannes Grand Prix winners
- Films about nurses