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Payal Kapadia, who made historical past final 12 months as the primary Indian director in three a long time to win a significant award in Cannes’ major competitors, was honored with France‘s prestigious “Officier dans l’Ordre Arts et des Lettres” (Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters) distinction on Wednesday in Mumbai.
The award was introduced by the Consul General of France on the Residence of France in Mumbai’s upscale Peddar Road space, recognizing Kapadia’s vital contributions to cinema and the cultural relationship between France and India.
“It is an honor and privilege to be conferred with the distinction of Officer of Arts and Letters,” Kapadia mentioned on the ceremony. “I am also very thankful for the French Government’s dedicated support towards independent cinema all over the world.”
The Mumbai-based director has been on a exceptional trajectory since her brief movie “Afternoon Clouds” was chosen for the seventieth Cannes Film Festival in 2017. She later received the Golden Eye award for finest documentary on the 74th Cannes Film Festival for her debut characteristic documentary “A Night of Knowing Nothing.”
Kapadia’s profession reached new heights in 2024 when she captured the Grand Prix on the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her fiction characteristic debut “All We Imagine as Light,” which she developed throughout the Cinefondation Cannes Residency in Paris. The achievement marked the primary time in 30 years that an Indian movie received an award in Cannes’ major competitors part, and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for finest director in addition to fifth place recognition from the influential Cahiers du Cinema.
“All We Imagine as Light,” a French co-production, was shortlisted as France’s entry to the Oscars’ worldwide class.
Kapadia’s experimental brief “And what was the Summer Saying” beforehand received the particular jury prize on the International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam in 2018 and the Pramod Pati finest experimental movie prize on the Mumbai International Film pageant in 2020.
Jean-Marc Sere-Charlet, Consul General of France in Mumbai, mentioned: “I am delighted to confer the distinction of Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres on Payal, whose journey illustrates the power of cinema to transcend borders, break down barriers, and create understanding. Through her work, she has not only deepened our understanding of India’s deepest voices, but also contributed significantly to the cultural dialogue between France and India, strengthening our ties and enriching our cultural landscape.”
Following her Cannes triumph, Kapadia collected extra accolades for “All We Imagine as Light” on the Asian Film Awards, British Independent Film Awards, and San Sebastian Film Festival, amongst others.
Kapadia joins an illustrious group of Indian artists who’ve beforehand obtained French authorities honors, together with Sivaji Ganesan, Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone, Richa Chadha, and acclaimed director Shaji N. Karun.
The “Officier des Arts et des Lettres” distinction is awarded to people who’ve distinguished themselves by their creativity in artwork, tradition, and literature, or for his or her contribution to the affect of arts in France and worldwide.