‘All We Imagine as Light’ Review: A Rhythmic Revelry for the Women of Mumbai
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Since its earliest days, the world’s biggest cities have woven their contemporary identities into the foundations of cinematic iconography, from Taxi Driver to Tokyo Story. By watching such films, audiences often make profound connections to places they have possibly never visited, speaking to the magically transportive powers of filmmaking that will never, ever lose their potency. For her narrative feature film debut, Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine as Light, Payal Kapadia constructs a quietly expressive and unforgettable portrait of her hometown, Mumbai, as experienced through the perspectives of women whose careers led them to the bustling metropolis, one of the most populous on earth. Combining Mumbai’s rich atmosphere with a subtle screenplay that delves into considerations of female desire, loneliness, and autonomy in contemporary India, Kapadia constructs one of the most exceptional movies of 2024.
All We Imagine as Light gracefully follows three nurses—all women facing significant moments of change—as they toil to make a living in an ever-expanding Mumbai. Head nurse Prabha (Kani Kusruti) holds the film's heart with her caring yet authoritative nature. She is thrown into emotional disarray when a European-manufactured rice cooker is mysteriously delivered to her apartment, possibly a gift from her husband, who all but disappeared from her life after taking a job in Germany shortly after their wedding. Twenty-something Anu (Divya Prabha) is Prabha’s roommate, caught between her provincial parents’ wish for her to settle down in an arranged marriage and the passionately sincere romance she undertakes with Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon), which her family would never approve of due to his Islamic background. Their coworker, the middle-aged Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), faces an uphill battle to secure the deed for the apartment owned by her recently deceased husband, set to be demolished by a faceless development company specializing in modern high-rise condos. Amid these three female figures navigating their urban existences, decisions are made that lead them away from their busy schedules for a few days to the seaside. Removed from the nonstop bustle of Mumbai, the women are finally granted the space to manifest their distinctive desires for life.
Courtesy of Unifrance
Unpretentious through a serene lyricism that is continually emboldened but never renounced by emotive storytelling, All We Imagine as Light is a rare film that blazes in your memory thanks to its quietest moments and the prosaic beauty of spaces and characters that it meticulously showcases in every scene. Kapadia’s remarkable vision resonates with her experience as a documentarian (2021’s A Night of Knowing Nothing) to fully immerse the audience in the Mumbai she captures. The film opens with footage shot from a train as it speeds through the expansive city, accompanied by a voiceover from a migrant worker describing the love/hate relationship he and the millions in his position have with their new home, which provides excellent career opportunities but an often challenging quality of life for the working class: “the city takes time away from you.” The film never abandons these opening sentiments, always conveying the authenticity of its middle-class characters through the everyday hardships they face. The reality captured through this documentary approach is only challenged as the film evolves to thoughtfully toe the cinematic lines of romanticism and even fantasy in its latter portion.
Shot in part during India’s monsoon season, the movie’s sensibilities transform endless deluges that would prove inconvenient in the real world into splendidly dream-like images of apartment floors soaked by rain from windows left ajar and clandestine lovers’ trysts foiled by sudden downpours. Cinematographer Ranabir Das works in tandem with All We Imagine As Light’s structural shifts from city to sea, creating distinctive visions of both sections that come together like night and day: distinctive parts of the same entity. Moving its attention from the neon lights and skyscrapers of Mumbai, the camera shifts its focus towards the ancient grottos and crashing waves the women discover when they relocate to the coastal village, with the film’s visual language maintaining a stunning fascination with both places.
Courtesy of Unifrance
Through its hypnotizing imagery and melodic rhythm, All We Imagine as Light never loses sight of the three women at the core of its narrative. By way of their singular conflicts with the surrounding world, Kapadia’s screenplay constructs fully-formed notions of what working women in contemporary Mumbai face every day. In spite of the city’s endless evolution, its women are still confronted with firm religious and social expectations that are complex for them to challenge, which is precisely what the movie’s central trio works to accomplish.
As Prabha, Kusruti illustrates a quiet strength and leadership that gradually reveals its cracks, particularly when her faraway husband re-enters her thoughts. When a charming doctor at the hospital starts to show romantic interest—which may be reciprocal—Prabha is held back by her marriage, even though her husband has virtually abandoned her. In many ways the opposite of Prabha through her defiant joie de vivre, Anu moves through her life as though chased by her parents’ expectations. Prabha (the actress who plays Anu, not the character of the same name), with an exquisite face reminiscent of classic movie stardom, captures the youthful rebellion of Anu with an authenticity of feeling in perfect service to the forbidden romance she clings to, the desire she refuses to ignore. Despite the catty whispers of her coworkers (“all the nurses are talking about her”), the clandestine courtship Anu and Shiaz embark upon allows for her character to radiate in ways rarely captured in cinematic romances. The purity of their link as they conjure up schemes to see one another, the text messages between the two that appear onscreen in a dusty orange font: simply exquisite gestures of tender passion that provide All We Imagine as Light with so much of its emotional force.
Transforming from an examination of urban isolation into a breathtaking celebration of female friendship, All We Imagine as Light operates on many levels to present a sweeping work veiled by verismo for real people and the places that shape their lives. Despite its arthouse sensibilities and detours from the conventions of crowd-pleasing cinema, Kapadia’s efforts on her narrative feature debut demand to be seen and, more importantly, experienced. We will end this review with one of the film’s most enchanting lines: “You’ll have to wait until tonight to see me. But for now, I’m sending you kisses through the clouds.”
5/5
2024 | 115 minutes | Color | Malayalam, Hindi | English Subtitles
'All We Imagined as Light' had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix. The movie then toured the fall festival circuit, with stops at Telluride, TIFF, and NYFF. Sideshow and Janus Films will handle distribution in North America, which begins in Los Angeles and New York City on Friday, November 15.