Indian Film ‘All We Imagine As Light’ Competing at Cannes Film Festival After 30 Years

As the anticipation builds for the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival, Indian cinema enthusiasts are buzzing with excitement. The reason? Director Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’ has earned the prestigious honor of being the first Indian film to compete at Cannes in three decades.

Scheduled to take place from May 14 to May 25, the upcoming edition of the Cannes Film Festival will feature Kapadia’s film vying for top honors in the competitive lineup. The official Cannes Film Festival website recently unveiled the list of films set to be screened under the esteemed Competition section, including ‘All We Imagine As Light.’

In a social media post, the festival’s official page announced, “ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT – Payal KAPADIA #Competition #Cannes2024,” generating widespread anticipation among film enthusiasts and industry insiders alike.

While this marks Kapadia’s debut in the Competition section, her work has previously garnered recognition at Cannes. In 2021, her documentary ‘A Night of Not Knowing Nothing’ received the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary in the Director’s Fortnight, a significant Cannes sidebar. Additionally, her film ‘Afternoon Clouds’ was featured in the Cinefondation section during the Festival in 2017, demonstrating her growing presence on the international cinematic stage.

‘All We Imagine As Light’ enters the competition alongside offerings from renowned filmmakers worldwide, including Francis Ford Coppola, Sean Baker, Yorgos Lanthimos, Paul Schrader, Magnus Von Horn, and Paolo Sorrentino, among others. The diverse lineup promises a captivating array of storytelling and cinematic excellence.

The film’s narrative centers on Prabha, a nurse, who receives a surprising gift from her estranged husband, sparking a journey of introspection and self-discovery. Meanwhile, her friend and roommate, Anu, navigate the complexities of love and longing. Together, they embark on a road trip to a coastal town, where their dreams and desires appear unexpectedly.

In addition to ‘All We Imagine As Light,’ another Indian filmmaker, Sandhya Suri, has also received recognition at Cannes. Suri’s film ‘Santosh’ has been selected for the prestigious Un Certain Regard section, further highlighting the growing presence and acclaim of Indian cinema on the global stage.