This movie deserved its Cannes Grand Prix award, and maybe even more.
What it's about
Two Malayali nurses try to make it in the bustling city of Mumbai despite the many obstacles that come their way. Among them are an absent husband, a forbidden interfaith romance, and a doomed battle against real-estate developers.
The take
All We Imagine as Light is a political film that has many smart and moving things to say about the loneliness of migrating from the country to the city, the double standards women face on the daily, and the ever-widening gap between the rich and poor. But thanks to director Payal Kapadia’s deft hands, these weighty themes don’t hit you like a brick in the face. Intertwined in the rich inner lives of the two Malayali nurses and the Marathi cook who lead the film, they come off as subtle and poetic, like everything else about the film. There’s a quiet power at work here, and it will entrance you till the end.
What stands out
It’s disappointing the Film Federation of India blocked this film from being submitted to the Oscars, where it had a real shot of winning Best International Feature.