All We Imagine as Light (Payal Kapadia, India 2024)

Among other accolades, it was named Best of the Year in Sight & Sound’s annual overview and received 93 out of 100 points on IMDb.

The female director, Payal Kapadia, was born in Mumbai in 1986.

In the film, we follow the nurses Prabha and Anu, who live together in Mumbai. Prabha is married but has no connection with her husband, who lives abroad. Anu is younger and dreams of the Muslim man she is in love with, while she herself is Hindu, like all her family. Prabha is uneasy about the situation, but when a free-spirited outsider awakens long-suppressed desires for closeness, everything changes—including her perception of Anu. The two leave the bustling city to find a quiet beach, where they confront and navigate their complicated emotions.

Critics agree that with exceptionally striking cinematography, Payal Kapadia masterfully intertwines everyday life with dreams, creating one of the most compelling biographical films in recent years.