Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light, which triumphed at Cannes, is under consideration by France for Oscar 2025 submission. The film, recipient of the Cannes Film Festival's Grand Prix in 2024, shows the lives of two nurses from Kerala who share accommodation in Mumbai. It features performances by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabhu, and Chhaya Kadam.
This international co-production is reportedly also in contention to represent India at the Academy Awards. Kapadia, who both wrote and directed the film, received appreciation from producers in India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy. Thomas Hakim and Julian Graff from France's Petit Chaos serve as the main producers.
All We Imagine As Light made history as the first Indian film in three decades to compete for the Palme d'Or. Its Grand Prix win at Cannes, the festival's second-highest accolade, brought pride to India. The film's recent theatrical distribution deal in India through Rama Daggubati's Spirit Media has made it eligible for Oscar consideration from the country.
France's Oscar shortlist includes three other films called, Jacques Audiard's Emilia Perez, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Alain Guiraudie's Misericordia.
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana wrote a note for Kapadia and called her a "trailblazer." His note in the magazine stated, "There is a powerful believability to how she (Payal) portrays the human experience onscreen. Her authenticity and her lens on reality are part of what makes her work so rare."
Kapadia, an FTII alumna known for her acclaimed documentaries and short films, made her feature directorial debut with All We Imagine as Light. As a student at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Kapadia, daughter of renowned artist Nalini Malani, found herself at the centre of controversy. In 2015, Kapadia protested for four months challenging the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, a television actor who had transitioned into politics, as the institute's chairman. (Agencies)
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