Written by Kenza Bouhnass-Parra
All We Imagine as Light is the little gem that keeps on shining brighter the more you think about it. A simple film following three women in Mumbai and the intricacies of their relationships that sneaks up on you and leaves a long-lasting effect.
The film premiered earlier this year at the Cannes film festival, where director Payal Kapadia was awarded the Jury Grand Prize. Despite not being chosen by neither India nor France as their entry for Best International Film at the 97th Academy Awards, the film has followed its course amassing praise and other nominations and wins along the way, notably Best International Feature at the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle Awards.
It is a film that we will be hearing about in this already started awards season, and it should be part of every conversation.
In the rustle of scrambling to watch anticipated films at this time of the year, arguably the busiest, All We Imagine as Light leaves its mark as a moment quietude in the mist of the chaos. While it operates on the background of one of the most bustling and overwhelming cities in the world, the film finds tranquility in the gentleness with which we are introduced to the lives of two nurse roommates (Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha) and Divya Prabha’s coworker (Chhaya Kadam). Kapadia’s direction lingers on the details, the discreet movements and the art of simply existing. There is a sobriety in how the camera depicts the character and the mix of natural light and rich colours of the Indian culture create a tender atmosphere to the cinematography. While isolation is a recurring theme, city and oceanic landscapes are both equally portrayed as escape places, where on one side the anonymity leads to a bubble of authenticity and on the other side freedom arises from the vastness of the sea. All We Imagine as Light subverts the expectations of exposing demeaning traits about its three leads, or reveal tension or conflict between them. Instead, it invites the audience into their rich lives, so it witnesses them chase their desires, with the outmost care.
Where nowadays, audiences experience a lot of films where narratives and opinions are thrown onto them, the All We Imagine as Light screenplay stands out as particularly organic. Where the characters get to naturally exist and evolve, without the constraints of keeping them within the forms of predefined stereotypes. The performances are nothing short of remarkable, where every single actress flushes out their characters’ inner lives with profundity and depth. The result is an enthralment of their charm and a mesmerism of their every move and tweak of emotions.
All We Imagine as Light is now playing in theatres, and I cannot recommend it enough.
Photo credits to The New Yorker and The Guardian.
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