Filmmaker Payal Kapadia made history at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival as her drama, “All We Imagine as Light,” clinched the prestigious Grand Prix award.
The film, marking Kapadia’s directorial debut, secured its place in cinematic lore as the first Indian film in three decades and the first ever by an Indian women director to grace the festival’s main competition.
A post on Instagram by the Festival de Cannes read, “Le Grand Prix est attribue a ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT de PAYAL KAPADIA. The Jury Prize goes to ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT by PAYAL KAPADIA.#Cannes2024 #Palmares #Awards #GrandPrix”
Receiving thunderous applause, the film’s screening garnered an eight-minute standing ovation.
Set against the backdrop of a bustling city, ‘All We Imagine as Light’ is the story of Prabha, a nurse, whose life takes an unexpected turn when she receives a mysterious gift from her estranged husband. Accompanied by her roommate Anu, the duo takes on a journey to a coastal town, where the mystical forest serves as a sanctuary for their dreams.
‘All We Imagine as Light’ stands as an Indo-French collaboration, co-produced by Petit Chaos from France and Chalk and Cheese Films from India.
‘All We Imagine as Light’ marks the feature film debut of Payal Kapadia. Before this, she won the Golden Eye award at Cannes for her documentary ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing.’
The Cannes Film Festival started on May 14. Greta Gerwig was the jury president this year. Other members included Lily Gladstone, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Eva Green, Ebru Ceylan, Juan Antonio Bayona, Nadine Labaki, and Omar Sy.