PAYAL Kapadia has scripted history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival for her film “All We Imagine as Light”. The film bagged the award, the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d’Or, which went to American director Sean Baker for “Anora” at the closing ceremony on Saturday night. Kapadia’s movie, which screened on Thursday night, is the first Indian film in 30 years and first ever by anIndian female director to be showcased in the main competition. The last Indian movie to be selected for the main competition was Shaji N Karun’s 1994 movie “Swaham”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country is proud of director Payal Kapadia who became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival for her film ‘All We Imagine as Light’. He also said through her remarkable talent the FTII alumnus has given a ‘glimpse of the rich creativity in India’. “India is proud of Payal Kapadia for her historic feat of winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her work ‘All We Imagine as Light’. An alumnus of FTII, her remarkable talent continues to shine on the global stage, giving a glimpse of the rich creativity in India.

 

This prestigious accolade not only honours her exceptional skills but also inspires a new generation of Indian filmmakers,” Modi said on X. Best year yet for Indian filmmakers with three wins at Cannes 2024: IT WAS a triple feat for Indian talent at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light”, “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” by FTII student Chidananda S Naik, and Anasuya Sengupta of “The Shameless” fame winning major awards in each of the three competitive sections of the prestigious gala. The 77th edition of Cannes, which concluded on Saturday, was undoubtedly the best year for the country which found space at the fest through eight Indian, or India-themed, films. Kapadia, an alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), charted history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award for “All We Imagine as Light”. Though the second most prestigious prize at Cannes, Grand Prix has a storied history with prominent titles including this year’s Oscar winner “The Zone of Interest” and Park Chan-wook’s revenge drama “Oldboy” as part of the list.

 

“All We Imagine as Light” has already found distributors for its North America release, but it’s unclear when the film will be screened in India. Writer-lyricist Varun Grover said it was an “unbelievable day” for Indian cinema. “Dissent, in art and in life, is a tough path to choose. But sometimes it does create magic,” he wrote on X. Kapadia, who led a student protest against the appointment of actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan as FTII chairman, had won the Oeil d’or (Golden Eye) award at Cannes for acclaimed documentary “A Night of Knowing Nothing” which premiered under Director’s Fortnight section in 2021.