The Sleeping Dictionary

In the 1930s, British officer John Truscott travels to a secluded village within colonial-era Malaysia to educate and Westernize the Iban people. There, he encounters the enchanting Selima. In keeping with local custom, Selima is designated to share a bed with him and to instruct him in the language and ways of the community. Yet as affection blossoms, opposition arises from both the colonists and the natives, who balk at the prospect of their marriage.