Our dream guest today is a writer and director making history. Payal Kapadia won the Cannes Grand Prix in 2024 for her sublime film, “All We Imagine As Light,” which was hailed by The Guardian as “A triumph.” She was the sixth woman to ever win this award and it was the first Indian film to be submitted to the festival’s main competition in three decades. Her films are captivating audiences around the world and Payal was nominated for two Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and so many more. Her documentary, “A Night of Knowing Nothing,” won the L’œil d’Or award for Best Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. She is currently a Fellow at the Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris.
Tamzin and Finola loved every minute of speaking with Payal, from hilarious behind-the-scenes stories on her film-sets in Mumbai, the importance and power of female friendship and so many amazing tools and games to unlock your creativity when you’re feeling stuck! Is Payal a morning person or a night-owl? When she was a little kid, what did she dream of being when she grew up? And what creativity challenge does she have in store for us? Find out all this and more!
You can follow Payal on Instagram: @payalkapadiafilm
About your hosts:
Tamzin Merivale is a visual artist and writer, on a mission to explore diverse stories and to guide people to process their life experiences through art. Tamzin’s visual art facilitates people in their quest to unearth their true, powerful selves — work which is unique and transformational. Tamzin’s writing was recently published in the New York Times best-selling memoir The Book of Alchemy (2025) by Suleika Jaouad, alongside Gloria Steinem, Elizabeth Gilbert, Salman Rushdie and more. Subscribe to Tamzin’s Newsletter here or follow her on Instagram @tamzinmerivale.
Finola Merivale is a composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music, based between France and Ireland. She is currently a 2025–26 Fellow at Columbia University’s Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris. Her music has been described as “edgy and discomforting, yet exciting and distinctive,” and \"a wild ride.\" Finola completed her DMA in Composition at Columbia University. Recent accolades include fellowships from MacDowell (2025) and the Civitella Ranieri Foundation (2024), a 2025 Music Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland and an award from the New York Council on the Arts. Her music has been performed internationally. Follow Finola on Instagram @finolamerivale.
Audio editing and production by Finola Merivale
Music by Finola Merivale
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