A Night of Knowing Nothing is a 2021 documentary film (or, some would say, a work of creative docufiction) directed by Payal Kapadia. An exploration of university student life in India, the film centres on letters written by L., a student at the Film and Television Institute of India, to her estranged boyfriend after they are separated when he is forced to quit film school and denied permission from his family to continue dating L. because she is not of the same caste.
The film premiered in the Directors' Fortnight stream at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, where it was named the winner of the L'Œil d'or award for Best Documentary Film. It was subsequently screened at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was one of the winners of the Amplify Voices Award.
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Release
The was acquired for commercial distribution by Square Eyes.
A Night of Knowing Nothing premiered in the Directors' Fortnight stream at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. It was also screened at the 26th Busan International Film Festival and nominated for 'Busan Cinephile Award' in 'Wide Angle' section in October 2021.
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the documentary holds an approval rating of 96% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10.