At the BAFTA Awards on Sunday night, Jacques Audiard’s Spanish musical Emilia Pérez won Best Film Not in the English Language, despite controversy surrounding lead actor Karla Sofía Gascón’s past offensive tweets. It means that India’s All We Imagine As Light walked away empty handed from the ceremony.
Payal Kapadia’s film was nominated alongside Emilia Perez, I’m Still Here, Kneecap and The Seed of the Sacred Fig. This was a second major upset for Kapadia and India after last month’s snub at Golden Globes, again against Emilia Perez’s win.
Gascón has been largely absent from the awards campaign due to a huge social media storm raging since last month when her old racist and xenophobic tweets were unearthed. She did not attend the ceremony but the director acknowledged her in his acceptance speech, sending her a kiss.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the incredible artists who made this film possible and who are here with us tonight,” he said. “My dear Zoë, my dear Selena, Giorgini, Paul, Juliet, Camille, Clément, Julia, and your team—along with you, my dear Karla Sofía, whom I send a kiss. I’m incredibly proud of what we created together. Long live Emilia Pérez!”
Despite the loss, ‘All We Imagine As Light’ has garnered significant recognition, making waves in the international film industry.
‘All We Imagine As Light’, the first Indian film to win the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, has been widely praised for its evocative storytelling and powerful performances.
The film stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam and tells the poignant tale of a troubled nurse and her young roommate confronting their desires during a trip to a beach town.
As an official Indo-French co-production, it marked a significant milestone in international cinema, with its inclusion in the Critics Choice Awards being a proud moment for Indian fans.
