At the beginning, the camera takes us on a night-time journey through the vibrant markets of Mumbai. The hustle and bustle on the streets provides an almost documentary-like view of the reality of life for the city's inhabitants and gradually leads us to Prabha, a nurse who works long shifts in a hospital. Prabha is an independent woman who thrives passionately in her profession. Together with Anu, her roommate and friend, Prabha navigates through life in the big city, which is characterized by a longing for love and tenderness. While Anu is in a forbidden relationship with Shiaz, a Muslim man, Prabha tries to maintain her loyalty to her husband who lives in Germany. Indian director Payal Kapadia celebrated great success with her first feature film “A Night of Knowing Nothing” in Cannes in 2021 (Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary). Her stylistic trademark is clear images that slowly slip into poetic realms. This is also the case in “All We Imagine as Light”, which frames the romantic life plans of the protagonists with the dreams and struggles of other Mumbai residents. The film flows and glides through the streets, accompanied by an elegiac piano soundtrack that creates a melancholy space for the characters' feelings. In a beautiful twist, the women's journey takes them to a coastal village where they find the freedom and intimacy they were denied in Mumbai. “All We Imagine as Light” is a precious discovery and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Festival.