India made a significant mark at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival this year, breaking a 30-year-long hiatus with Payal Kapadia’s feature film All We Imagine As Light entering the competition for the Palme d’or. The movie will compete with films from prominent filmmakers such as Greta Gerwig and Xavier Dolan presiding over the jury. The last Indian film to compete at Cannes was Swaham in 1994, directed by Shaji N Karun.
All We Imagine As Light is an Indo-French production, set in Mumbai, showcasing the lives of two migrant Malayali nurses breaking free from societal norms. The film stars Kani Kusruti, Diyva Phahba, and Hridhu Haroon in important roles. This will be Kapadia’s third time at Cannes, following her previous successes with A Night of Not Knowing Nothing and Afternoon Clouds.
In addition to Kapadia’s film, Santosh, the debut feature film by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, will be featured in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. The film stars Shahana Goswami and tells the story of a woman who takes on her deceased husband’s job as a cop in rural northern India. Santosh is one of the four BBC-backed films selected for the official selection at Cannes this year.
Indian films have a notable history at Cannes, with Swaham, Neecha Nagar, Amar Bhoopali, Parash Pathar, and Garm Hava being some of the films that have competed in the past. The selection of All We Imagine As Light and Santosh continues the legacy of Indian cinema at the prestigious festival. Other Indian films like Bird, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, and September Says, among others, will also be screened at Cannes this year.
Last year, Cannes Film Festival featured a record seven women directors’ films in the competition lineup, with Justine Triet winning the Palme d’or for Anatomy of A Fall. This year, the number of women directors has been reduced to four, with filmmakers like Andrea Arnold, Coralie Fargeat, and Agathe Riedinger showcasing their work alongside Kapadia. The festival continues to highlight and celebrate the work of women filmmakers in the industry.
Overall, Indian cinema has made a notable return to the Cannes Film Festival with All We Imagine As Light and Santosh competing in the prestigious competition. The selection of these films, along with the presence of other Indian films, showcases the diversity and talent of Indian filmmakers on the global stage. With a strong representation of women directors at Cannes, the festival continues to support and highlight the voices of women in the film industry.
