Traces Of Sandalwood

Running time: 95 mins

Nandita Das (Earth, Fire) and Aina Clotet (The Wild Ones) delight when East meets West in a captivating sibling saga. Director Maria Ripoll (Tortilla Soup) elegantly contrasts the worlds of India and Spain through the story of two sisters separated when they were very young; Paula (Clotet) has forgotten where she came from, while Mina (Das) has searched for 30 years to find her family. But, the reunion couldn't be more difficult -- as Paula (born Sita) never knew she was adopted, doesn't know her sister, and must now decide whether or not she can accept her past. Adapted from her own bestselling novel (co-authored by Asha Miro), producer and writer Anna Soler-Pont's screenplay is pure poetry, while Ripoll's direction and the lead performances exude the right amount of grace and texture. - Michael Rabehl