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Thursday was a great day for India at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. On one hand, Chidanand S Nayak’s Kannada film ‘Sunflowers: Where the First Ones to Know’ from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, won the Best Film award in the ‘La Cinéfondation’ segment, while on the other hand, after 30 years, an Indian film was selected and screened in the main competition segment at the Cannes Film Festival.
That film is Payal Kapadia’s Malayalam-Hindi film ‘All We Imagine As Light’. Earlier in 1994, Shaji N Karun’s Malayalam film ‘Swaham’ was selected in this segment of the competition.
The entire team of the film ‘All We Imagine as Light’ at the Cannes Film Festival.
Payal’s films were also selected in 2017 and 2021
Earlier, when Payal Kapadia was studying at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune, in 2017, her short film ‘Afternoon Clouds’ was the only Indian film to be selected in the Cinéfondation segment of the 70th Cannes Film Festival. After this, in 2021, her documentary ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’ was selected in the Directors Fortnight category of the Cannes Film Festival. Not only this, the film also received the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary then.
Payal created history this year
However, this time Payal Kapadia has made history as she has been selected in this segment at Cannes along with world’s great filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, who made cult film like ‘The Godfather’, Oscar winner Paolo Sorrentino, Michael Hazanavicius and Jiya Zhanke, Ali Abbasi and Jack Odiyar David Cronenberg. Distributors and buyers from all over the world have shown interest in this film.
Payal (first from right) and the entire star cast of the film on the red carpet.
The film premiered on Thursday
Young filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s film ‘All We Imagine as Light’ had a grand premiere at the Grand Theatre Lumiere in Cannes on Thursday evening. The audience welcomed the film by clapping for a long time.
Payal Kapadia and her team entered the grand and ceremonial (official) red carpet with pomp and show. Cannes Film Festival director Theri Fremon welcomed them with open arms. Payal also held an official press conference at the festival in which she discussed the making process of the film.
On this occasion, Payal held a press conference with the star cast and also shared stories related to the film.
what is the story of the film
The film revolves around two nurses from Kerala, Prabha and Anu, who live in Mumbai. Both of them live in the same flat. Before Prabha could understand anything, her family members got her married. Soon after the marriage, her husband went to Germany and never enquired about Prabha.
Prabha is waiting and hoping that her husband will return one day. A Malayali doctor from her hospital is attracted to her but Prabha refuses.
Both women are shocked when one day a parcel arrives from Germany. Apparently Prabha’s husband has sent her a gift after many years.
Actress Kani Kasturi and Divya Prabha in a scene from the film.
Another nurse Anu falls in love with Shiyaz, a Muslim boy who has come to Mumbai from Kerala. She seeks solace in meeting him in this crowded city. Another middle aged woman is cheated by a builder as she has no paper proof of depositing money after her husband’s death.
Prabha and Anu plan to travel with the deceived middle-aged woman to a seaside town outside Mumbai. Anu also invites her boyfriend as she will get a chance to spend intimate time with him. One afternoon, an unconscious man is found lying on the seashore.
Destiny is constantly taking away the light from the lives of these women. Prabha also tells Anu that Mumbai is Mayanagari, whoever does not believe in Maya will go mad here. In such a big city, two women are together in search of light while the darkness is increasing around them.
The lead roles in the film are played by Kani Kasturi, Divya Prabha, Chaya Kadam, Hridhur Haroon etc. Ranbir Das’ cinematography is excellent and never strays from its focus. The crowd of Mumbai, the sky, the clouds, the rain, the wind and the sea along with the sounds of the surroundings seem to transform into the numerous characters of the film through Ranbir Das’ camera.
Author: Ajit Roy (Senior journalist and film critic)