Cannes: All We Imagine as Light the first Indian film in 30 years

All We Imagine as Light competing at Cannes after 30 years. Payal Kapadia's debut fiction feature, 'All We Imagine As Light,' has garnered significant attention as it prepares to compete for top honors at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, scheduled from May 14 to 25. This marks a significant moment, as it is the first Indian film in nearly three decades to vie for the prestigious Palme d'Or award, the last being Shaji N Karun's 'Swaham' in 1994.

Kapadia's film will be in competition alongside works by esteemed directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Sean Baker, Yorgos Lanthimos, Paul Schrader, Magnus Von Horn, and Paolo Sorrentino. The jury will be led by Greta Gerwig, known for her directorial works 'Ladybird' and the upcoming 'Barbie.'

Anurag Kashyap also expressed his excitement, stating, "After 30 years, an Indian film in the main competition (sic)."

In addition to Kapadia's film, British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri's 'Santosh' has been selected for the Un Certain Regard section of the festival. The opening film for Cannes will be Quentin Dupieux’s 'The Second Act' on May 14.

Kapadia is no stranger to Cannes, as her documentary 'A Night of Knowing Nothing' secured the Golden Eye for best documentary at the 2021 edition of the festival.

All We Imagine As Light,' an Indo-French production, narrates the story of a nurse named Prabha who receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, leading to upheaval in her life.

Several Indian films have previously been chosen for the Cannes' competition section, including works by 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.