‘All We Imagine as Light’ Becomes the 1st Indian Film in 30 Years to Compete at Cannes

Payal Kapadia’s inaugural fictional feature ‘All We Imagine As Light’ is set to contend for top accolades at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, scheduled from May 14 to 25. This milestone marks the first Indian entry vying for the esteemed Palme d’Or award in almost thirty years, the previous one being Shaji N Karun’s ‘Swaham’ in 1994.

Kapadia’s film will vie alongside works by esteemed global directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Sean Baker, Yorgos Lanthimos, Paul Schrader, Magnus Von Horn, and Paolo Sorrentino. The jury will be helmed by Greta Gerwig, renowned for directing ‘Ladybird’ and ‘Barbie’.

Anurag Kashyap also commented saying, “After 30 years, an Indian film in the main competition (sic).”

Additionally, British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri’s ‘Santosh’ has earned a spot in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival. The festival’s curtain-raiser will be Quentin Dupieux’s ‘The Second Act’ on May 14.

Kapadia is no stranger to Cannes. Her documentary ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’ clinched the Golden Eye for best documentary at the 2021 edition.

‘All We Imagine As Light’, a collaborative effort between India and France, narrates the tale of a nurse named Prabha who finds herself embroiled in turmoil after receiving an unexpected present from her estranged husband.

Previous Indian entries in Cannes’ competition section include works by luminaries like Chetan Anand, V Shantaram, Raj Kapoor, Satyajit Ray, MS Sathyu, and Mrinal Sen. ‘Neecha Nagar’ remains the sole Indian film to have clinched a Palme d’Or.