Watch: Payal Kapadia’s emotional speech after winning Cannes second-highest honour

‘All We Imagine As Light’ won the second-highest honour at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. It was also the first Indian film that was shortlisted in competition at the prestigious film festival in the last 30 years. While the entire country is brimming with joy at the proud moment, the woman at the centre of the highly acclaimed film stood tall and delivered an emotional speech.

Payal Kapadia’s speech at Cannes

Kapadia took to the stage with the three leading ladies of her film-Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam. The filmmaker said that it was a dream in itself to be selected in competition section of the prestigious film festival and winning the award was ‘beyond her imagination.’ Kapadia thanked the talented stars of her film and said, “without them I don’t think this film would have been possible. It’s three women who have given me so much and contributed to the film like a family and made it their own.” The filmmaker went on to hug the emotional actors on stage.

Kapadia noted that her film was the first one in 30 years to compete for the top prize at Cannes. “Thank you to the Cannes Film Festival for having our film here. Please don’t wait 30 years to have another Indian film,” she added.

Talking about her film, she said, “This film is about friendship, about three very different women. Oftentimes, women are pitted against each other. This is the way our society is designed and it is really unfortunate. But for me, friendship is a very important relationship because it can lead to greater solidarity, inclusivity and empathy."

Who is Payal Kapadia?

The award winning filmmaker is an alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII). Before ‘All We Imagine As Light’, her documentary ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’ had premiered at Director’s Fortnight in 2021. It won the Oeil d’or (Golden Eye) award.

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