Emilia Perez steals show: 'All We Imagine As Light' misses BAFTA win

New Delhi: Payal Kapadia's critically acclaimed movie "All We Imagine As Light" lost 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.

About Emilia Perez

At the 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) held on February 16, 2025, Jacques Audiard's French musical crime film Emilia Pérez won the Best Film Not in the English Language category, surpassing India's All We Imagine As Light, directed by Payal Kapadia. Other nominees in this category included I'm Still Here (Brazil), Kneecap (Ireland), and The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany). Emilia Pérez tells the story of a Mexican cartel leader who transitions to live as a woman.

Controversial Film

The film has been both acclaimed and controversial, particularly due to offensive social media posts by its lead actress, Karla Sofía Gascón. Despite the backlash and her absence from the ceremony, director Jacques Audiard acknowledged Gascón in his acceptance speech, stating, "I also thank you Karla Sofía, who I kiss." In addition to its Best Film Not in the English Language win, Emilia Pérez saw Zoe Saldaña receive the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as the protagonist's lawyer. Saldaña expressed gratitude to the entire cast, including Gascón, despite previous criticisms of her co-star's remarks. 

About All We Imagine As Light

All We Imagine As Light, which had previously made history as the first Indian film to win the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, continues to be celebrated for its exploration of love, longing, and loneliness in Mumbai through the lives of three women. The film is currently available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India. 

The 2025 BAFTAs highlighted a diverse range of films, with Conclave leading the nominations at 12 and securing awards for Best Film and Outstanding British Film. The Brutalist also performed notably, with Adrien Brody winning Best Actor and the film receiving accolades for Best Director (Brady Corbet) and Best Original Score.