Arts·Q with Tom Power

Payal Kapadia on her big win at Cannes for All We Imagine as Light

The Indian director joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about making a film that celebrates female friendship, and how she feels about it not being selected to represent India at the next Oscars.

The Indian director also talks about her film not being selected to represent India at the next Oscars

Black and white headshot of Payal Kapadia.
Payal Kapadia is an award-winning filmmaker who's based in Mumbai. (Ranabir Das)

At this year's Cannes Film Festival, Payal Kapadia won the prestigious Grand Prix award for her debut narrative feature, All We Imagine as Light. It's one of the buzziest films of the year and the first Indian film in 30 years to compete at Cannes. The story centres around three women who are each living and working in Mumbai. Though they're all financially independent, they're not free from the expectations of what it means to be women in a patriarchal society. Kapadia joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about making a film that celebrates female friendship, how she addressed some of her own biases against women in the film, and how she feels about it not being selected to represent India at the next Oscars.

WATCH | Official trailer for Cannes for All We Imagine as Light:

The full interview with Payal Kapadia is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.


Interview with Payal Kapadia produced by Glory Omotayo.