All We Imagine as Light

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

All We Imagine as Light
Promotional poster
Directed byPayal Kapadia
Written byPayal Kapadia
Produced by
  • Thomas Hakim
  • Julien Graff
Starring
CinematographyRanabir Das
Edited byClément Pinteaux
Music byTopshe
Production
companies
  • Petit Chaos
  • Chalk & Cheese Films
  • BALDR Film
  • Les Films Fauves
  • Another Birth
  • Pulpa Films
  • Arte France Cinéma
Distributed by
  • Condor Entertainment (France)
  • September Film (Netherlands)
Release date
  • 23 May 2024 (2024-05-23) (Cannes)
Running time
115 minutes
Countries
  • India
  • France
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • Italy
LanguagesMalayalam
Hindi
Marathi

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 India, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Italy.

The film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. It was the first film from India to compete in the main competition since 1994, and won the Grand Prix.

Plot[edit]

Prabha and Anu are Malayali nurses living in Mumbai who are both troubled by their relationships. The two embark on a road trip to a beach town where "the mystical forest becomes a space for their dreams to manifest."[1][2]

Cast[edit]

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 Films 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.[3][4]

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.[3]

Filming was done in Mumbai over the course of twenty-five days and then in Ratnagiri for fifteen days.[3]

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,[5] and received an eight minute standing ovation at the end of its screening.[6] 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.[3] It won the Grand Prix, becoming the first Indian film to do so.[7]

Janus Films and distribution partner Sideshow acquired the North American rights for the film on 20 May.[8]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 17 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9/10.[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 93 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[10] The film premiered to widely positive reviews from critics.[11][12]

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".[13] Nicholas Barber, writing in the BBC, also gave the film five stars.[14]

Accolades[edit]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 25 May 2024 Palme d'Or Payal Kapadia Competed [15]
Grand Prix Won [16]
Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai – Special Mention Won [17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light is first Indian film in 30 years to make it to Cannes' competition section". Indian Express.
  2. ^ Chhabra, Aseem (24 May 2024). "All We Imagine as Light: Indian sisterhood story earns glowing reviews at Cannes". BBC Home. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Ntim, Zac (18 May 2024). "Made In India: The World's Biggest Film Industry Hasn't Had A Film In The Cannes Competition Since 1994 ... Until Now". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024.
  4. ^ Hopewell, John (7 August 2022). "Cannes Best Doc Laureate Payal Kapadia Next Racks Up Production Partners for Petit Chaos (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024.
  5. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 77th Festival de Cannes". Cannes Film Festival. 8 May 2024. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Cannes 2024: Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine As Light' brings India back in competition with eight-minute standing ovation". The Hindu. 24 May 2024. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "All We Imagine as Light". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  10. ^ "All We Imagine as Light". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  11. ^ "'All We Imagine as Light' Review: A Glowing Portrait of Urban Connection and Unexpected Sisterhood". Variety.
  12. ^ "Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine As Light', The First Indian Film In The Cannes Competition In 30 Years, Gets 8-Minute Ovation Following World Premiere". Deadline.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Ntim, Zac (11 April 2024). "Cannes Film Festival Lineup Set: Competition Includes Coppola, Audiard, Cronenberg, Arnold, Lanthimos, Sorrentino & Abbasi's Trump Movie — Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  16. ^ Richlin, Harrison (25 May 2024). "'Anora' Wins the Palme d'Or at Cannes (Complete Winners List)". Indiewire. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai 2024 : LES GRAINES DU FIGUIER SAUVAGE de Mohammad Rasoulof". Association Française des Cinémas d'Art et d'Essai (in French). Retrieved 25 May 2024.

External links[edit]