The City of Imaginary Lights

In praise of "All We Imagine as Light"

Official Poster - All We Imagine As Light

As a matter of principle, I am skeptical of Indian films that gain recognition at international film festivals. There is some part of me which thinks of such movies as some kind of “Poverty Porn”. I know this is a generalization and maybe it is just an extension of me growing up being completely nonplussed about the fuss about Pather Panchali and the art film circuit which dominated the “intelligent cinema” space in India. But in time, my appreciation for such films has increased. Maybe it was the easy accessibility to films and stories in other languages. Being married to a Malayalam speaker has also helped, I guess. There is a place for popcorn flicks and there is place for cinema.

But some stories need to be told, and they need to be told in their original language, because the language is the gateway to the cultural context in which the story is set. And that’s why certain films work in a different language, some others just flat out do no…