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All We Imagine As Light review: Raw, bittersweet tale of nurses; Payal Kapadia’s cinematic ode to Mumbai

By News Update

All We Imagine As Light Review: Raw, bittersweet tale of nurses; Payal Kapadia’s film is cinematic ode to MumbaiInstagram

India’s hopes of being nominated for the Oscars were crushed on December 17 when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) dropped the list of shortlisted films in the run for a nomination in 10 categories.

Kiran Rao’s directorial Laapataa Ladies, retitled Lost Ladies was initially chosen for India’s official entry in the Best International Feature category at the 97th Academy Awards.

However, all hopes came crashing down when the name of the film was from the list that was shared by The Academy Awards.

Not just Indians but all across the globe, filmmaker Hansal Mehta shared disappointment in the federation for not making the right choice, and for not expanding India’s story beyond its social issues.

Grammy Award-winning musician Ricky Kej also stated that though Laapataaa Ladies was an “entertaining film” the FFI made the “wrong choice.”

A section of netizens debated that Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light was a far better contender for the Oscars and had a fair chance but the Film Federation of India (FFI) didn’t select the film.

For the unversed, Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light was considered for submission by both India and France, but faced a setback after not being selected. Instead, France chose Emilia Pérez.

About the film All We Imagine as Light

Set in Mumbai, All We Imagine as Light revolves around the lives of three Malayali nurses Prabha (Kani Kusruti) Anu (Divya Prabha), and Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam).

Nurse Prabha’s life takes a sudden twist when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Her younger roommate, Anu, faces frustration in her quest to secure a private spot in the city to be intimate with her partner Shiaz.

In a nutshell, All We Imagine as Light delves into the interpersonal lives of three nurses—Prabha, Anu, and Parvaty. Despite their diverse identities, the trio share a common bond in their struggle to survive and build a life in the city, often facing the harsh realities of being outsiders in a vast,

The film is an ode to the city as it is to its outsiders, who just can’t call it home but can’t leave it too.

Fans on social media are irked with All We Imagine as Light’s missed opportunity at the Oscars and the ones who have watched the film praised the Indianness of the film. This has added to the growing frustration surrounding its exclusion.

Let’s take a look at what netizens have to say:

All We Imagine as Light (Malayalam, Hindi)

Director: Payal Kapadia

Cast: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon, Azeez Nedumangad

Run-time: 118 minutes

Global Recognition for All We Imagine As Light

All We Imagine As Light has received rave reviews and has bagged multiple awards in the past month, including the Best International Feature at the New York Film Critics Circle and the Best International Feature trophy at the reputed Gotham Awards 2024. The film also won the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The Malayalam-Hindi film is also nominated for two Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture Non-English Language and Best Direction – Motion Picture.

When and where can you watch All We Imagine as Light

All We Imagine as Light is currently running in select theatres in Kerala. The film is yet to drop on the OTT platform.

Meanwhile, Indians still can hope and dream about the Oscars as the Hindi film Santosh was named among the 15 shortlisted films. The film was a submission by the UK.

Back in 2009, the Anil Kapoor-starrer Slumdog Millionaire clinched the Best Picture award along with seven other accolades at the Academy Awards, marking an immensely proud moment for India.

Full list of Here’s a detailed look at the shortlisted films in these categories:

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

  • The Bibi Files

  • Black Box Diaries

  • Dahomey

  • Daughters

  • Eno

  • Frida

  • Hollywood gate

  • No Other Land

  • Porcelain War

  • Queendom

  • The Remarkable Life of Ibelin

  • Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

  • Sugarcane

  • Union

  • Will & Harper

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

  • Chasing Roo

  • Death by Numbers

  • Eternal Father

  • I Am Ready, Warden

  • Incident

  • Instruments of a Beating Heart

  • Keeper

  • Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World

  • Once upon a Time in Ukraine

  • The Only Girl in the Orchestra

  • Planeswalker

  • The Quilters

  • Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr

  • A Swim Lesson

  • Until He’s Back

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

  • Brazil, I’m Still Here

  • Canada, Universal Language

  • Czech Republic, Waves

  • Denmark, The Girl with the Needle

  • France, Emilia Pérez

  • Germany, The Seed of the Sacred Fig

  • Iceland, Touch

  • Ireland, Kneecap

  • Italy, Vermiglio

  • Latvia, Flow

  • Norway, Armand

  • Palestine, From Ground Zero

  • Senegal, Dahomey

  • Thailand, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies

  • United Kingdom, Santosh

  • A custom image of Anora Conclave and Wicked

Oscar's list of international feature film

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

  • The Apprentice

  • Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

  • A Different Man

  • Dune: Part Two

  • Emilia Perez

  • Maria

  • Nosferatu

  • The Substance

  • Waltzing with Brando

  • Wicked

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

  • Alien: Romulus

  • Babygirl

  • Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

  • Blink Twice

  • Blitz

  • The Brutalist

  • Challengers

  • Conclave

  • Emilia Perez

  • The Fire Inside

  • Gladiator II

  • Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1

  • Inside Out 2

  • Nosferatu

  • The Room Next Door

  • Sing Sing

  • The Six Triple Eight

  • Wicked

  • The Wild Robot

  • Young Woman and the Sea

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

  • “Forbidden Road” from Better Man

  • “Winter Coat” from Blitz

  • “Compress/Repress” from Challengers

  • “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late

  • “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez

  • “My Way” from Emilia Pérez

  • “Sick in the Head” from Kneecap

  • “Beyond” from Moana 2

  • “Tell Me It’s You” from Mufasa: The Lion King

  • “Piece by Piece” from Piece by Piece

  • “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing

  • “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight

  • “Out of Oklahoma” from Twisters

  • “Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot

  • “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper

  • Building the World of Wicked from the Ground Up

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

  • Goodbye My World

  • A Bear Named Wojtek

  • Beautiful Men

  • Bottle George

  • A Crab in the Pool

  • In the Shadow of the Cypress

  • Magic Candies

  • Maybe Elephants

  • Me

  • Origami

  • You perceive

  • The 21

  • Wander to Wonder

  • The Wild-Tempered Clavier

  • Yuck!

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

  • Anuja

  • Clodagh

  • The Compatriot

  • Crust

  • Dovecote

  • Edge of Space

  • The Ice Cream Man

  • I’m Not a Robot

  • The Last Ranger

  • A Link

  • The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

  • The Masterpiece

  • An Orange from Jaffa

  • Paris 70

  • Room Taken

  • SOUND

  • Alien: Romulus

  • Blitz

  • A Complete Unknown

  • Deadpool & Wolverine

  • Dune: Part Two

  • Emilia Perez

  • Gladiator II

  • Joker: Folie à Deux

  • Wicked

  • The Wild Robot

VISUAL EFFECTS

  • Alien: Romulus

  • Better Man

  • Civil War

  • Deadpool & Wolverine

  • Dune: Part Two

  • Gladiator II

  • Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

  • Mufasa: The Lion King

  • Twisters

  • Wicked

Key dates for the 97th Academy Awards

Voting for the Oscar nominations across all 23 categories will commence on January 8 and conclude on January 12, with the final list of nominees set to be announced on January 17.

The 2025 Oscars ceremony is scheduled for March 2, Conan O’Brien will be hosting The Academy Awards.

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