ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

India, 2024, 118 minutes, Colour.

Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhi Haroon, Azees Nedumangad, Anand Sami.

Directed by Payal Kapadia.

Towards the end of this moving film, a character speaks about working days on end in a dark factory and the exhilaration of coming out into the light. Light then is symbolic of the realities of our lives but our hopes are that somehow or other we live through and imagine will be light.

This is an Indian film which won the Grand Prix at Cannes as well as many other awards and nominations. And it has production contributions from European countries.

The audience is immediately swept into the realities of the city of Mumbai, a very long opening tracking shot along a street in the city, observing the people, the shops, the conditions as the camera passes by, then a long tracking shot along a railway line, the crowds, the stations, the train rides – and some voice-over about people who have had hard experiences in the city.

Then, during a train ride, a very long take of a very striking woman traveller. She is Prabha, a middle-aged nurse, arranged marriage, husband long in Germany, little contact. She is good at her work, a doctor friendly with her, writing her a poem. She shares accommodation with Anu, much younger, bright and breezy, brash, secretly seeing a Muslim young man. The other women at the hospital is older, Parvati, widow of 20 years, squatting in a building now being taken over for development and her being sued.

The early part of the film offers an opportunity for the audience to see and appreciate each of the women.

The second part of the film has the three women going to Pavarti’s home town, to help her settle back. There are two developments, a revelation about Anu and her relationship with the young man, his following her to the town, the rendezvous in an almost mystic cave. Prabha, observes, upset, wanting to return to Mumbai. The other development is a blend of the real and the surreal/mystical, a drowning man, caught in the net, rescued and revived by Prabha. However, in dialogue with the man, she imagines him as her husband, questioning him, trying to understand – and it is he who makes the quote about the darkness and light.

These events seem to offer the three women some possibilities for peace in their own lives, hope for the future.

The writer-director, Payal Kapadia, was born in Mumbai and brings a deeply empathetic talent to this story of the three women.

1. The title, the statement of the drowned man about not seeing in the dark, the hope of seeing in the light?
2. The writer-director born in Mumbai, the female perspective on Indian society, on the place and role of women?
3. The Mumbai setting, the opening sequences, the long tracking of the Mumbai streets, markets, people, activities, the tracking of the train, the railway stations, scenes along the lines? The overview panoramas of the city, poor areas, working areas, the skyscrapers and the contemporary buildings? The train rides and the crowding? Crowds at the station?
4. The contrast with the drive to the coast, the town, the cafe, the caves and sculptures, on the beach, the resuscitation, the doctor’s home? The finale and the cafe and the happy prospects?
5. The introduction with the comments by the man who wanted to leave, and fear, the woman who was pregnant? The social issues?
6. Prabha on the train, the long take, her striking presence, her emerging as a key character, her long work as a nurse, her skills and empathy, the old woman and her medication, mental state and apparitions of her husband? The story of her marriage, her husband gone to Germany, out of touch with him? Then the amazing arrival of the rice cooker, her reaction, she is one it under the sink, later pulling it out and embracing it? Her friendship with Parvati? Parvati and her age, living in the old building, the developers, suing her, persecuting her, Prabha and her wanting to help, going to the lawyer, the difficult case?
7. Anu, her age, working in the office, giving the young mother the contraceptives? Bright and breezy, contemporary, not inhibited? Her friendship with Shiaz, his being Muslim, the meetings, in love, her coming home and boarding with Prabha? Not telling her the truth? The cat, the pregnancy, the going to the vet?
8. The doctor, finding Hindi difficult, attracted to Prabha, his writing the poem, giving it to her, her taking it, reading it in the night, his telling her about leaving, wanting a response from her, her not being able to, telling him she was married?
9. Anu, the phone calls from her mother, the arranged marriage, sending her the photos of the candidates, mocking them with Shiaz? The outings, the clothes, shopping? Arriving home late, the rain, rather looking the fuel?
10. Parvati, her age, character, her dead husband, squatting, the persecution, Prabha and her friendship and support, joking together, offering advice? The decision to return home?
11. Driving Parvati to the coast, the short visit, the cafe and the cheerful server, listening to the music?
12. Anu, saying she was tired, the rendezvous with Shiaz, in the cave, the carvings, his poem and reciting it, the sexual encounter? The aftermath? Prabha and her following, knowing the truth? Her wanting to return to Mumbai? Pavarty urging her to stay?
13. On the beach, the drowned man, the crowd, Prabha hurrying, able to resuscitate him, their taking him to the house?
14. Prabha and her imagination, as if the drowned man was husband, reviving him, talking with him, memories of the past, the hopes, her affection, the change, his work in Germany, the factory, the dark? The effect of this experience on her?
15. Anu, Shiaz emerging, the truth, and the final scene of the four sitting, sitting in the light?