‘All We Imagine as Light’ Begins India’s Oscar Qualifying Series

Two nurses from Kerala in southern India, the protagonists of Payal Kapadia’s Cannes-winning play All We Imagine as Light, will begin their theatrical journey at home.

Written and directed by Kapadia in her feature directorial debut, the film tells the story of two women from Kerala in Mumbai — Prabha, a restless nurse who receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, and Anu, her young roommate who is looking for a place where she can be close to her boyfriend. A trip to the coastal city allows them to find a space where their desires can come true. The film, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes earlier this year, stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Hridhu Haroon, all from Kerala.

Spirit Media, founded by “Baahubali” star Rana Daggubati, which has acquired the Indian distribution rights for the film, will release the film in Malayalam and Hindi in a limited number of theatres in Kerala from September 21, marking its qualifying release for consideration as India’s entry in the International Feature Film category at the Oscars.

The film was produced by Thomas Hakim and Julian Graff through their French company Petit Chaos, in association with Zico Maitra’s Indian Chalk & Cheese Films and Ranabir Das’ Another Birth, as well as the Netherlands’ BALDR Film, Luxembourg’s Les Films Fauves, Italy’s Pulpa Films and France’s Arte France Cinéma. The film was shortlisted for France’s Oscar nominations, but the country ultimately chose Jacques Audiard’s redemption thriller Emilia Perez, which won two top prizes at Cannes, for the international feature film race.

Malayalam is the dominant language in Kerala. “All We Imagine as Light” will be released in Kerala under the Malayalam title “Prabhayay Ninachathellam”. After its release in Kerala, the film will be released in all major cities in India.

“We are proud to bring this incredible film to audiences in India, starting with Kerala, where the two main characters in the story hail from. Indian cinema has a rich heritage of storytelling and this film captures the Indian experience through characters who speak multiple languages, come from different parts of the country and share similar dreams of a metropolis like Mumbai,” Daggubati said. Diversity.