The Scent of Mandarin

It is the summer of 1918 and the Great War has been raging for nearly four grueling years. For Charles (Olivier Gourmet), the guns are silent, but his personal battles continue. As a French cavalry officer he was wounded and lost his leg, forcing him to give up his passion for horsemanship. As he convalesces at his family estate, Charles hires Angèle (Georgia Scalliet) as his home-care nurse. She too is a victim of the war, losing her husband at the front and raising her young daughter on her own. At first the relationship is cordial and businesslike, but soon Charles develops romantic feelings for his nurse and eventually proposes marriage. Although initially hesitant and still tormented by a broken heart, Angèle eventually accepts the proposal after extensive wooing by Charles. Gradually, however, she begins to recognize how she and Charles need each other to recover from their devastating war wounds—both physical and psychic. An emotional bond begins to form and grows into carnal passion as the couple tries to create happiness despite their combined sorrow. Scalliet dazzles in her big-screen debut, portraying Angèle as an intelligent, independent proto-feminist. (Seattle International Film Festival)