‘All We Imagine as Light’ LFF 2024 Review: Blues, Bustle, and Beyond
All We Imagine as Light, directed by Payal Kapadia, premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024, where it was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix. The film is a beautiful portrayal of modern urbanity, navigating the labyrinth of sisterhood by following the lives of three nurses in Mumbai as they brave personal challenges. The film presents sisterhood as a beacon of light amid the urban loneliness of the 21st century.
“A plea for tolerance” was the poignant introductory statement at the BFI London Film Festival Special Presentation screening of All We Imagine as Light on the 18th of October 2024. This plea is extended to both the characters and the audience. As the three women in focus move about Mumbai, they have experiences anchored in realism that are both shared and singular; understanding is needed from both each other and the audience regarding their life decisions. The film is not afraid to stray from romantic conclusions, but rather presents things directly; as an audience, we are faced with reality as it is, not a polished fairy-tale. Finding beauty in these moments, Payal Kapadia offers a breath of fresh air in the field of cinema, showcasing the expansive reality of womanhood.
The sisterhood on wide display in the film is a beautiful acknowledgment of the importance of human connection. The women act as a safety net for each other, offering security and solidarity despite, or perhaps because of, their mistakes. The three lead actresses - Chhaya Kadam (Parvaty), Divya Prabha (Anu), and Kani Kusruti (Prabha) - portray their characters’ intrinsic connections with revitalising honesty. The latter mentioned in the BFI screen talk that extensive rehearsal preceded filming due to their limited budget and a determination to make no compromises when telling the story. The work done behind the scenes is evident on screen in the intuitive bond between the three women, which is indispensable to the telling of this story.
Mumbai is the “City of Illusions”; a multicultural centre bursting with life, as it plays host to this story. The focus of the film is on these three women but in the context of the 20 million other citizens in Mumbai. We hear a plethora of languages throughout the film, emphasising how lives merge through immersive cultural experiences and reflecting the sheer diversity of the city. Questions surrounding cultural interactions are raised throughout and stand as an exacting portrayal of the world in 2024; the film possesses an awareness of its time and the contemporary overarching concerns shared by its audience. Though the central point of the film is India and specifically Mumbai, it highlights the lingering presence of globality in reality, framing the potential outreach of human life in a way that marks both the limitations and possibilities of the world. As the audience experiences the film in three languages, this point is cemented flawlessly.
We see how the multiculturalism and vastness of Mumbai can create challenges for the film's characters. One character expresses that you are only really in Mumbai if you have the necessary documentation to prove it; Mumbai, like the film, constantly poses the question of who belongs. Through the inner turmoil of her characters, shaped by their external challenges, Payal Kapadia explores themes of anxiety about the future and loneliness across three generations of women who, despite their differences, are bound together in uncertainty. The question of belonging quickly becomes a key theme of the film, equating it with solidarity, recognition, and, principally, sisterhood.
Kapadia, via video message at the BFI screen talk, expressed that she wants the audience to make a connection between the looming monsoon season in Mumbai and the colouring of the film. Blue tones permeate the film in both clothing, milieu, and lighting; the characters’ lives are enveloped in blues, both visually and metaphorically. This brings a heightened expressive quality to the film that encompasses the experience of watching it. As an audience, you leave feeling blue; however, this sensation is redefined by the lasting hope woven through the story.
There is something ominously comforting about the film; though it is not a fairy-tale, it is still embedded with warmth. While overwhelming you with the vastness of the world, the story reminds you how this provides an opening for lives and dreams to unfold. The film, in its purity, is honest. It does not shy away from tackling difficult subjects but does so with grace and consideration. At the BFI screen talk for the film, Kani Kusruti (Prabha) points out that “it (the Indian film industry) doesn’t get the light it needs” and deserves, a gap this film powerfully addresses. All We Imagine as Light is a contemporary storytelling triumph; its fundamental honesty, self-awareness, and tribute to sisterhood come together to create an unmissable moment.
All We Imagine as Light will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on the 29th of November 2024.
Edited by Humaira Valera, Co-Film & TV Editor
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