'All We Imagine As Light' loses Best Film Not in English Language BAFTA to 'Emilia Perez'
New Delhi (PTI): Payal Kapadia's critically acclaimed movie "All We Imagine As Light" lost out the BAFTA in the Best Film Not in the English Language category to French title "Emilia Perez".
Despite controversy surrounding its lead star Karla Sofia Gascon's old tweets, which were viewed as Islamophobic and racist, "Emilia Perez" won the award at Sunday's ceremony in London with film's second lead Zoe Saldana taking home the BAFTA in the Supporting Actress segment.
"Emilia Perez", a French film directed by Jacques Audiard, follows four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. Cartel leader Emilia (Gascon) enlists Rita (Saldana), an unappreciated lawyer, to help fake her death so that she can fake her death so that she can finally live authentically as her true self.
"All We Imagine..." revolves around two Malayali nurses in Mumbai and their friendships. The Malayalam-Hindi film created history by becoming the first from India to win the Grand Prix at the Cannes in May last year.
Hours after the ceremony, the official Instagram page of Kapadia's film shared a picture of the director mingling with fellow artists.
"Win or lose, good year for Indian films internationally @allweimagineaslightfilm," read the caption of the Instagram Story.
Earlier this year, "Emilia Perez" also won the Golden Globe in the Best Motion Picture Non-English Language category, beating out "All We Imagine...", "The Girl With the Needle", "I'm Still Here", "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" and "Vermiglio".
Other films nominated for the Film Not in the English Language BAFTA were: "I'm Still Here" (Portuguese), "Kneecap" (Irish/English), and "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" (Persian).
"Kneecap" also won its director Rich Peppiatt a BAFTA in the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer segment.
The movie, also penned by Irish filmmaker Peppiatt, depicts the rise of Kneecap, an Irish hip-hop trio from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Other nominees in the category were: British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri's "Santosh", British-Indian director Karan Kandhari's "Sister Midnight", and "Monkey Man" by Indian-origin British actor Dev Patel in his directorial debut, and "Hoard" by Luna Carmoon.
At the ceremony, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, papal thriller "Conclave" -- fronted by Ralph Fiennes -- emerged as the Best Film along with earning the award for Best British Film as well.
Brady Corbet won the Director BAFTA for "The Brutalist", which also saw lead star Adrien Brody bag the Best Actor award.
Mikey Madison won Best Actress BAFTA for "Anora", with Kieran Culkin being adjudged Best Supporting Actor for "A Real Pain".
Scottish actor David Tennant, star of "Doctor Who" and "Good Omens", hosted the BAFTAs for the second time.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
