After winning the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, All We Imagine As Light has been shortlisted by France to represent the country at the Oscars 2025. Written and directed by Payal Kapadia, the film tells the story of two Malayali nurses living in Mumbai. The movie features Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon, Azees Nedumangad and Tintumol Joseph in key roles. All We Imagine As Light is a collaborative effort supported by French and Indian production houses, including Petit Chaos, Chalk & Cheese Films, BALDR Film, Les Films Fauves, Another Birth, Pulpa Films and Arte France Cinéma.
Zico Maitra, the co-producer of All We Imagine As Light, revealed that the makers have also submitted the film for Academy Awards selection in India. He told NDTV, “We have submitted the film for selection in India. As Indian producers, it's been incredible seeing a regional language film resonate so deeply with audiences globally, starting with Cannes and the film being the first Indian film to play in Competition in 30 years. While the film's themes are global, this is a story about Mumbai and the lives of women in that city+India. It would be a great honour to represent India at the Academy Awards. We think it could be a source of great joy for India in the way we felt it was after the film won the Grand Prix at Cannes.”
All We Imagine As Light was the first Indian film in 30 years and the first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The last Indian movie to compete in the main competition was Shaji N. Karun's Swaham in 1994.
All We Imagine As Light was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered on May 23. The film received an eight-minute standing ovation at the end of its screening. Click here to read more about it.
All We Imagine As Light was also screened at the Munich International Film Festival 2024.