Indian Filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s Debut Film Receives Standing Ovation at Cannes Film Festival

Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia made history at the Cannes Film Festival as her debut fiction feature, ‘All We Imagine As Light‘, received an enthusiastic eight-minute standing ovation at its world premiere.

The film, All We Imagine As Light, marks the first Indian production in the competition at Cannes in three decades and is the first by a female Indian filmmaker.

The movie, which puts Payal in contention for the prestigious Palme d’Or, showcases a different side of Indian cinema, beyond the realm of Bollywood.

Competing alongside renowned filmmakers like Jacques Audiard, Yorgos Lanthimos, David Cronenberg, Paul Schrader, and Jia Zhangke, Payal expresses her happiness and honor for being selected in such esteemed company.

Before the premiere, the cast and crew, including Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Hridhu Haroon, dazzled on the red carpet, exuding excitement and joy.

The plot of the film revolves around two young women, Prabha and Anu, portrayed by Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha, who embark on a journey to a beach town, where they explore their desires and dreams.

Filmed across Mumbai and the rainy port town of Ratnagiri, the movie captures the essence of urban life and female relationships in a dreamlike and gentle narrative.

Payal Kapadia’s collaboration with Paris-based producers Hakim and Julien Graff of Petit Chaos and Mumbai’s Zico Maitra of Chalk & Cheese Films has brought a unique perspective to the screen.

Having previously won the Golden Eye for best documentary at Cannes for her film ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’, Kapadia continues to showcase the rich and diverse talent present in Indian filmmaking.