India's 'All We Imagine as Light' could get the Globe — but rules mean no Oscar, says AP

New Delhi: The favorite to win the Globe for non-English language film is the night’s most nominated movie,“Emilia Pérez,” but the most critically acclaimed film in the category may be “All We Imagine as Light” from Indian director Payal Kapadia.

Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle was among the prominent critics who named it the best film of the year (The AP’s Lindsey Bahr put it at No. 2), and it has a 100% fresh critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. But it definitely will not get an equivalent Academy Award nomination when they’re announced Jan. 17, because of the Oscars’ odd rules.

The more mellow Globes require that the majority of a film’s dialogue be in a language other than English, and little else.

The Oscar for best international feature has the same language requirement. But in an arcane United Nations-style system that has brought calls for change, nations select a single film to be submitted for nomination. And India, which has never won the Oscar, chose Kiran Rao’s “Laapataa Ladies.”

The head of the Indian film federation said that “All We Imagine as Light” made the selection committee feel like “they were watching a European film taking place in India.”

“Laapataa Ladies” did not make the Oscars shortlist announced by the Academy in December.(AP)