All We Imagine as Light

This film was fine, but I'm struggling to understand what sets it apart. While it's artistic, the film lacks a compelling narrative. It seems to tick the right boxes-a woman of color from Europe directing-but beyond that, what makes it stand out? I'm baffled by the critical acclaim. The acting was solid, the score was minimal, and the direction was decent. It feels like the inclusion of nudity and explicit scenes is what ultimately sold the film. Is this really what filmmakers must resort to in order to cater to Western audiences? The pacing is incredibly slow, which likely appealed to the French audience and contributed to its selection at Cannes.

Cannes loves films like these!

A powerfully melancholic & profoundly intimate slice of social realism that's further bolstered by outstanding performances from its trio of ladies, All We Imagine As Light is as perceptive as it is patient, as vociferous in its silence as it is contemplative in its portrait and is as expertly crafted as it is sensibly told, thus announcing the arrival of a bold & fresh creative voice from the Indian filmmaking scene.

Written & directed by Payal Kapadia in her feature film debut, the film is an earnest reflection of everyday life in the bustling cosmopolitan that is Mumbai and makes for a sobering observation of the confines & constraints within which women of Indian society exist. Kapadia takes her time to acquaint us with her characters, gives them ample space to breathe and shows their plight & desires with tenderness.

What stands out about Kapadia's direction is the compassion in the sketching of her characters and gentleness with which each scene is shot. The cinematography is breathtaking, illuminating the rain-drenched, dimly-lit streets & spaces of the city in gorgeous colour palette, with camera angles that add to its mesmerising quality while additional enrichment comes from the excellent performances, evocative score & layered depths.

Overall, All We Imagine As Light inclines more towards an arthouse endeavour than mainstream offering and isn't going to satisfy every palate. The first half of the film is thoroughly riveting but once the setting changes from Mumbai to the beach town, the story slows down considerably & its runtime is deeply felt too despite the closure it brings. Ruminating on womanhood, loneliness, female desire & insecurities, Kapadia's film is a poetic meditation on migrant life in modern India.

Light delves into the complex struggles women face in the harsh realities of city life. The film captures the fears and challenges of young, unmarried women dealing with family pressures, a middle-aged woman feeling stuck in her life, and an elderly woman facing homelessness. These portrayals of adulthood's difficulties-loneliness, poor relationships, and uncertain futures-can feel overwhelming and unsettling.

However, the film also offers a glimmer of hope, especially in its final scene, where a sense of possibility shines through, accompanied by uplifting music. It reminds us that despite life's hardships, there is always room for growth, change, and hope for a better future. Light is a poignant reminder that while the struggles of life are real, we have the strength to rise above them and create our own path forward.

The dreamy score that meanders throughout this freewheeling film, played on sombre images that evoke nostalgic despair, is a pleasure to watch. I was more fascinated by the makers' attention to detail in carving out a Bombay that goes against the popular image and instead shows you its cloying nature. Three women find it difficult to navigate their lonely lives in the city as the camera follows them in public places and into their privacy. I was able to relate to the characters, having lived in Bombay for decades, but the film does go a bit haywire towards the end, and you could blame it on me I lost track there. Overall, a good experience, thanks to the soundtrack and good use of textual design (especially the red font).

(Watched at its Bombay premiere at the 2024 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.)

You can tell by the reviews that this isn't a film for less mature audiences, or those that are ideologically agitated. That said, it's a beautifully intelligent film, mainly about three women, each at a different stage of their lives - one just getting started, another approaching middle age and a third nearing retirement who are dealing with the difficulties of being a woman in India and the social restraints that they experience in a society that is still very andro-centric. The world of Mumbai is rapidly changing and gentrifying, but these three, all nurses, see little benefit from the disruptive changes that surround them, even as they engage with it differently. In their own respective ways, each develops a trajectory - which may or may not work - for adapting even as they rely on and grow in relation to one another. It's a beautifully filmed invitation to witness the bustling energy of modern India's urban centers as well as it's more traditional village life. The dialogues tend to be somewhat minimal and invite analysis and introspection, even as the cinematography captures the tonality of life for Prahba, Anu and Parvaty in rich if somewhat concentrated brushstrokes. An accomplished work of film-making this is one not to be missed.