Acclaimed filmmaker Payal Kapadia, who recently won an award at the Cannes Film Festival, emphasized the distinctiveness of Indian cinema, asserting, “We have our own vocabulary in cinema.” Kapadia’s statement underscores the unique storytelling methods and cultural narratives that define Indian films.
With her film “All We Imagine As Light,” Kapadia made history by becoming the first Indian director to win the prized trophy, which is the second most important honor in the European film festival after the top prize, the Palme d’Or.
After winning the hearts and award, she said, “I studied at FTII and it was a really important part of my learning of cinema. We watched films from all over the world there, we studied cinema from everywhere. Maybe that’s crept into how I like to make films. Maybe that then becomes a language that the western audience can be more open to because I think we have our own vocabulary in cinema and it’s very self-contained in India. We understand the gestures in our communities,” at a press conference in Cannes. She proudly continued, “We have our own festivals. There are a lot of people who go out to watch films. This is just one film amongst thousands of films and it’s good that we can have all kinds of films festival films, some ‘not festival films’. Everything should exist together. That’s what’s wonderful about cinema.”
Her comments inspire pride in the diverse and rich heritage of Indian cinema, encouraging filmmakers to embrace their cultural roots while exploring new artistic horizons.
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