Filmmaker Payal Kapadia, who created history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the prestigious Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival for her film All We Imagine as Light, expressed her admiration for the Malayalam film industry.
Speaking at a press meet with the film’s cast – Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam – after winning the distinguished award, Kapadia highlighted the distribution opportunities for art films in Kerala, saying, “There's an immense range of films being made in Kerala, even arthouse films get distribution which doesn't happen in the rest of the country. The audience in Kerala is really open to watching different kinds of films.”
The two female leads of All We Imagine as Light – Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha – are from Kerala. The film is about two Malayalee nurses who migrate to Mumbai, and their struggles.
In another press meet , Kapadia also praised the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), calling it one of the best in the country. “They have a great film festival in Kerala. It's really fantastic, one of the best in the country. They are very self-contained,” Payal said.
She also added that there is a huge boom in the Kerala film industry now, with art house, commercial, and mid-level movies. “There is a fund that the state government has started to support female filmmakers as well as filmmakers from underrepresented castes. It is going in the right direction,” she added.
All We Imagine as Light, which screened on May 23, marks a significant milestone as it is the first Indian film in 30 years and the first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition at Cannes. An alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Kapadia’s achievement is a proud moment for Indian cinema on the global stag