Barack Obama’s 2024 film recommendations: All We Imagine As Light tops the list

Payal Kapadia’s Golden Globe-nominated film, All We Imagine As Light, has been listed by former US President Barack Obama as one of his top movie recommendations for 2024.

Other films on the list include Timothee Chalamet-Zendaya’s Dune: Part Two, Ralph Fiennes’s Conclave, and others. All We Imagine As Light remained in the headlines all through 2024 for earning several awards and nominations at international levels. The film topped Obama’s 2024 movie list. The other films that made it to his yearly list include Conclave, The Piano Lesson, The Promised Land, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Dune: Part Two, Anora, Didi, Sugarcane, A Complete Unknown.

“Here are a few movies I’d recommend checking out this year (sic),” he wrote while sharing the list.

Apart from films, Obama listed his favourite music of 2024. It included songs like Squabble Up by Kendrick Lamar, Yayo by Rema, and others. “Here are my favorite songs from this year! Check them out if you’re looking to shake up your playlist – and let me know if there’s a song or artist I should make sure to listen to (sic),” Obama wrote.

Previously, Barack Obama listed Cold Mess by Prateek Kuhad as one of his top music recommendations for 2019.

All We Imagine As Light, directed by Payal Kapadia, stars Kani Kasruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam and Hridhu Haroon in key roles. It became the first Indian film to win the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes 2024. It has also received the Jury Grand Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Best International Feature at Gotham Awards, and Best International Film Award at the New York Film Critics Circle.

The film is now vying for a Critics’ Choice Awards nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. It has also earned two nods at Golden Globes 2025 in the Best Non-English Language Motion Picture and Best Director (Motion Picture) categories.