All We Imagine as Light

In Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light, the sprawling, dynamic city of Mumbai is as much a character in the film as the three women whose lives are encapsulated in it. Payal Kapadia, who made history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to compete for the Palme d'Or in three decades, has crafted a film that is both a wide-ranging social commentary and an intimate exploration of love and loneliness. The film, which has already attracted attention at Cannes, is a testament to Payal Kapadia's ability to blend the personal and the political in a story that is both universal and deeply rooted in the specificities of contemporary India.

From the very first frame, Payal Kapadia immerses the viewer in the chaotic beauty of Mumbai. The city's heat, hustle and bustle are captured in every shot, but so are the quieter, more mysterious aspects of urban life. Mumbai, with its 20 million inhabitants, is presented not just as a physical place, but also as a living entity that shapes the lives of those who inhabit it. The film's title, All We Imagine as Light , alludes to the invisible lives behind the thousands of apartment windows that make up the city's skyline, and the documentary-style prologue, with its snippets of voices from the crowd, recalls the human stories that lurk beneath the surface of this vast metropolis.

At the heart of the film are two nurses, Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha), who share a shabby apartment in a city tower block. Both women have left their rural homes for the promise of a better life in Mumbai, and work in the same maternity ward. However, despite their shared circumstances, their lives have taken very different paths. Anu, the younger of the two, is caught up in the excitement and frustration of a forbidden romance with Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon), a Muslim. In a country where religious divisions are widening under the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindutva agenda, their relationship is fraught with tension. The couple must navigate a city where their love is not only frowned upon but actively dangerous, finding brief moments of intimacy in Mumbai's bustling night markets and hidden corners.

Prabha's story, meanwhile, is one of longing and resignation. Trapped in a marriage that exists more on paper than in reality, she finds herself navigating life alone after her husband left for Germany shortly after their wedding. Her absence is keenly felt, not only physically, but also in the emotional void she leaves behind. Prabha's life is defined by this absence, and her struggle to maintain her dignity and identity in the face of society's expectations is one of the film's most compelling elements. Her only solace comes in the form of a fellow doctor who writes poetry and tries to woo her with small acts of kindness. In one of the film's most poignant scenes, Prabha reads one of her poems by the light of her apartment window, the stifling heat of the city outside contrasting sharply with her moment of quiet introspection.

Payal Kapadia's direction is masterful, capturing the harsh realities of urban life without lapsing into miserabilism. The first half of the film is infused with the city's jazz rhythms, with Mumbai's nightlife serving as a backdrop to the characters' struggles. The city is depicted in all its complexity, a place where dreams and despair coexist, and where the line between success and failure is very thin. The contrast between the grandeur and squalor of the city is striking, and Payal Kapadia's use of light and composition highlights the dichotomy at the heart of urban life.

The film takes a turn in its second half, moving from the frenetic energy of Mumbai to the quieter, more introspective setting of a seaside village. This change of setting is accompanied by a change of tone, as the characters are given the opportunity to reflect on their lives and the choices they have made. The shift from the oppressive heat of the city to the cool breezes of the coast is reflected in the film's pace, which slows down to allow the characters' emotions to unfold more naturally.

It's in this quieter second half that the themes of love, loss and nostalgia are fully explored. The three women - Prabha, Anu and their older colleague Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), who faces eviction from her home - find themselves drawn together by their shared experience of displacement and longing. Parvaty's story, in particular, is a poignant reminder of the human cost of urban development. After two decades of living in Mumbai, she is forced to leave her home to make way for a luxury condominium, a striking example of the city's relentless push towards modernization at the expense of its most vulnerable residents.

The maritime setting allows Payal Kapadia to explore these themes in a more metaphorical, almost dreamlike way. Freed from the constraints of the city, the characters begin to imagine new possibilities for their lives, and the film's title takes on a new meaning. The light of the title becomes a symbol of hope and renewal, a beacon for the characters as they navigate the uncertainties of their future. Payal Kapadia distributes these revelations with the gentleness of a sea breeze, allowing the characters' inner lives to unfold slowly and naturally.

The film's visual style is a key element of its narrative. Payal Kapadia and his cinematographer, Ranabir Das, make extensive use of natural light, creating a palette that shifts from the muted tones of the city to the brighter, more vibrant colors of the seaside. The use of light and shadow is particularly effective in conveying the emotional states of the characters, with scenes of quiet introspection often bathed in soft, diffused light that emphasizes the intimacy of the moment. The film's sound design is also worthy of note, with the constant hum of the city serving as a backdrop to the characters' lives and a reminder of the constant pressures they face.

One of the film's greatest strengths is its ability to balance the personal and the political. While the characters' stories are deeply personal, they also reflect broader societal issues. The film doesn't shy away from the challenges facing women in contemporary India, from the constraints of traditional marriage to the dangers of religious intolerance. However, Payal Kapadia's approach is subtle, allowing these themes to emerge naturally from the characters' experiences rather than foregrounding them.

The performances are uniformly excellent, with Kani Kusruti delivering a particularly nuanced portrayal of Prabha. Her performance captures the quiet strength of a woman who has been dealt a hard blow but refuses to let it define her. Divya Prabha is equally convincing as Anu, bringing a youthful energy and vulnerability that contrast beautifully with Kusruti's more restrained performance. Chhaya Kadam completes the trio with a portrait of Parvaty that is both dignified and heartbreaking, embodying the resilience of a woman who has seen it all but still finds the strength to carry on.

All We Imagine as Light is a film that stays with you long after the credits have rolled. Its exploration of love, loss and the search for identity in a rapidly changing world is both timely and timeless, resonating with audiences far beyond Mumbai's borders. Payal Kapadia's ability to capture the complexities of urban life while telling a deeply personal story is a testament to her talent as a filmmaker. With this film, she has established herself as an important voice in contemporary cinema, one that is sure to be heard for years to come.

This film asks its audience to slow down, listen and see the world through the eyes of its characters. In doing so, it reveals the beauty and pain of life in all its complexity, offering a deeply human portrait of a city and the people who inhabit it. Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light is not just a film to watch, but a film to experience fully - a cinematic journey that takes you into the heart of Mumbai and beyond, into the inner lives of its characters, and into the light they imagine for themselves.

All We Imagine as Light
Written and directed by Payal Kapadia
Produced by Thomas Hakim, Julien Graff
Starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon
Music ; Topshe
Director of photography: Ranabir Das
Editing: Clément Pinteaux
Production companies: Petit Chaos, Chalk & Cheese Films, BALDR Film, Les Films Fauves, Another Birth, Pulpa Films, Arte France Cinéma
Distributed by Condor Distribution (France), September Film (Netherlands)
Release date: May 23, 2024 (Cannes), October 2, 2024 (France)
Running time: 115 minutes

Seen on September 10, 2024 at the Deauville International Center

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