Directed by Payal Kapadia • 2024 • France, India, Netherlands
Starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam

Payal Kapadia’s acclaimed fiction-feature debut is a radiant ode to hope-giving connections forged amid big-city anonymity. Set against the hypnotic luminescence of Mumbai, ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT follows three very different women working at the same hospital—Prabha (Kani Kusruti), Anu (Divya Prabha), and Parvathy (Chhaya Kadam)—each contending with personal and material struggles amid a modernizing India riven by gentrification and rising Hindu nationalism. When eviction drives Parvathy back to her childhood village, the trio embark on an enchanting getaway by the sea, where they shake loose their remaining secrets and—in one otherworldly sequence—a lingering ghost. Winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT is a deep-rooted study of the fortifying power of friendship, propelled by moving performances and the director’s compassionate eye.

“Flat-out wonderful, one of the finest of the year . . . It’s shockingly beautiful.”
—Manohla Dargis, The New York Times (Critic’s Pick)

“One of the year’s great movies, in any form, style, or language.”
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker

“★★★★! A stunning narrative debut . . . A reminder of the transcendent power of cinema.”
—Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press

“The surprise masterpiece of 2024.”
—David Fear, Rolling Stone

THE #1 FILM OF THE YEAR ACCORDING TO
The New York Times
Sight and Sound
Film Comment
Associated Press
The Hollywood Reporter
Screen International

WINNER – NATIONAL SOCIETY OF FILM CRITICS
Best Director
Best Film Not in the English Language

WINNER – NEW YORK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE
Best International Film

WINNER – LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS CIRCLE
Best Film Not in the English Language