All We Imagine as Light is a quiet yet deeply emotional film that has captivated audiences with its subtle storytelling and poetic visuals. Set in the heart of Mumbai, the film focuses on the lives of two nurses sharing a modest apartment, navigating the complexities of love, womanhood, and belonging. With an intimate lens, the narrative explores the quiet beauty of everyday existence, gently peeling back the layers of identity, culture, and emotional solitude. Rather than relying on dramatic plot turns, it invites viewers to slow down and observe the internal shifts that define human connection in a rapidly changing world.
Story and Setting
The film is centered on two women, Prabha and Anu, who work at a public hospital in Mumbai. Prabha, the older of the two, is married to a man who has mysteriously stopped communicating with her. Anu, on the other hand, is in a secret relationship with a young man from a different religion an affair that brings both joy and anxiety. Their home is small and crowded, but within it, a deep and quiet companionship blossoms.
Mumbai itself plays a crucial role in the film, not just as a backdrop but as a living, breathing character. The city’s crowded trains, narrow lanes, and buzzing street corners contrast with the introspective emotional world of the protagonists. The clash between the external chaos and the internal stillness is handled with care, reflecting the tension between public life and private longing.
Intimate Portrayal of Women’s Lives
At its core, All We Imagine as Light is a film about women how they live, endure, hope, and find meaning in the smallest of gestures. The director, Payal Kapadia, uses the camera as a gentle observer, never intrusive, allowing the characters to reveal themselves in whispers rather than declarations.
The bond between Prabha and Anu forms the emotional center of the film. Their relationship is not defined by conflict or rivalry, but by quiet support and understanding. Their conversations range from mundane household concerns to confessions of love and loss, painting a portrait of intimacy that feels both authentic and rare in cinema.
Dreams, Desires, and Everyday Resistance
Much of the film’s beauty lies in its exploration of desire desire not only for romantic love, but for freedom, peace, and dignity. Both women long for something more than their daily routines. Prabha’s unresolved marital situation hangs heavily over her life, creating a sense of emotional limbo. Anu, meanwhile, struggles with the constraints of tradition and the fear of discovery in her relationship.
Rather than presenting these struggles in a melodramatic way, the film gives them time and space to breathe. It acknowledges how resistance can take quiet forms: a letter never sent, a gaze held a second longer, or a conversation under a tree during a stolen break. The characters’ actions are small but powerful, resisting a world that often silences women’s desires.
The Role of Light and Visual Aesthetics
True to its title, light plays a significant symbolic and visual role in the film. Scenes are often bathed in natural light filtered through windows, reflected on water, or glowing in the early morning haze. These moments are not only visually stunning but emotionally resonant, offering a kind of softness to the film’s narrative.
Cinematographer Ranabir Das uses framing and color with precision. Each shot feels composed like a painting, yet never feels artificial. Whether capturing the dimness of a hospital corridor or the golden hue of a distant beach, the imagery always complements the emotional atmosphere of the characters.
Journey and Transformation
The film reaches a turning point when the women leave the city for a short trip to a coastal town. This physical journey becomes a metaphor for emotional transformation. Away from the eyes of society, their conversations deepen, and moments of silence feel more profound. Nature, with its vastness and rhythm, contrasts with the restricted spaces of their city life.
In this more open environment, they begin to reflect on their inner needs with greater honesty. The trip doesn’t offer magical resolutions, but it provides clarity. There’s a sense of pause a chance to breathe and simply exist without judgment. It is in these quiet spaces that the film’s title becomes most clear: light is not only what we see, but what we imagine, what we hope for, even when the world seems too heavy.
Sound and Silence
All We Imagine as Light uses sound with great restraint. Music is minimal, allowing everyday sounds footsteps, trains, wind, and breathing to shape the film’s rhythm. Silence is used as a powerful tool, letting emotions settle into the space between words. The absence of sound often speaks louder than dialogue, inviting the audience to listen more closely to the characters’ inner worlds.
When music does appear, it feels earned. It’s not used to manipulate, but to accompany. This balance enhances the film’s emotional honesty and respects the intelligence of its viewers.
Reception and Impact
Premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, All We Imagine as Light received widespread critical acclaim for its originality, emotional depth, and visual grace. It was celebrated as a rare example of Indian independent cinema receiving global attention without compromising its cultural context or artistic vision.
Critics noted the film’s quiet feminist strength and its refusal to simplify complex realities. Instead of offering dramatic resolutions, the film embraces ambiguity and emotional nuance. Its strength lies in its honesty in its belief that ordinary lives are worth portraying with care and depth.
- Emotional Authenticity: Viewers praised the film’s ability to express complex feelings without relying on heavy exposition.
- Visual Language: The poetic use of light and space contributed to its meditative tone.
- Cultural Significance: It highlighted the inner lives of Indian women in a way that felt grounded and respectful.
Legacy and Cultural Relevance
The film stands as an important cultural marker not just for Indian cinema, but for global audiences seeking stories that prioritize emotional depth over spectacle. It signals a shift toward more introspective, character-driven storytelling in a media landscape often dominated by noise and speed.
By focusing on women who are often overlooked in mainstream narratives middle-class workers, caretakers, migrants the film brings visibility to lives shaped by care, labor, and longing. It doesn’t demand attention with dramatic flair. Instead, it earns it through grace, restraint, and a deep respect for its characters.
All We Imagine as Light is more than just a film it is a lyrical exploration of womanhood, intimacy, and the spaces in between hope and resignation. With its quiet narrative, evocative imagery, and emotionally grounded performances, it invites viewers to pause, reflect, and connect. It reminds us that even in the most ordinary lives, there is light sometimes faint, sometimes imagined, but always present. As cinema continues to evolve, films like this pave the way for stories that speak softly yet stay with us long after the screen fades to black.