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Traces of Sandalwood

Name: Traces of Sandalwood
Director: María Ripoll
Released: 2014
Duration: 95 min

Representation Score

6.5/10

Good

2014

Director

María Ripoll

Runtime

95 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Traces of Sandalwood is a cross-cultural drama that delves into the complexities of the Indian diaspora. Its strength lies in its exploration of racial and ethnic identity, moving beyond a Western-centric perspective to examine how heritage is preserved or lost across different places. The film places strong emphasis on women's ability to drive the story and the intellectual and emotional journeys of its protagonists. It challenges traditional domestic roles by focusing on the reclamation of history. However, the romantic storyline remains strictly straight-centered, and there is no representation of characters with disabilities or LGBTQ+ identities.

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Category Breakdown

Does Traces of Sandalwood have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on a traditional romance between Paula and Prakash, centered around heterosexual relationships. However, it includes diverse family structures, particularly the tension between biological and adopted families.

How does Traces of Sandalwood portray gender?

Good

Women play key roles in driving the narrative through their journeys. Mina and Paula’s emotional intelligence and investigative skills are highlighted as they seek to recover their lost histories.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Traces of Sandalwood?

Excellent

The film bridges Mumbai and Barcelona, offering a nuanced look at post-colonial identity and the immigrant experience. It examines how Indian heritage is preserved or erased in a European context.

How does Traces of Sandalwood represent religion and culture?

Good

The story critiques the pressures of cultural assimilation by showing how Western institutions can strip away a person's past. It emphasizes a fluid, personal understanding of identity over rigid social or familial structures.

Does Traces of Sandalwood include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or invisible disabilities depicted in the narrative.

Present on Screen

Offers a nuanced look at post-colonial identity and the immigrant experience.
Highlights the intellectual and emotional journeys of female protagonists.
Explores the preservation and loss of heritage across different cultures.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation for LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight-centered romances.
No characters with visible or invisible disabilities are included.
Relies on a traditional straight-centered romantic structure.

Official Synopsis

Despite her fame and fortune, Mina, a successful Indian actress in Mumbai, can't forget her little sister Sita, from whom she was forced to separate after their mother's death in a village. Thirty years later she will finally find out that Sita is alive and well in Barcelona. However, Sita's adoptive parents have erased all traces of her past. She is now called Paula, works as a researcher in Biology and has no recollection of her Indian background, let alone of Mina. Faced with the shocking truths of her past, Paula begins a long journey of self-discovery, aided along the way by her budding romance with the handsome Indian immigrant Prakash. A story of hope and love across Mumbai and Barcelona; from India to the Mediterranean and all the way back.

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