The Sleeping Dictionary

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The Sleeping Dictionary
IMDB 6.4/10 (1,157 votes)
Written by	Guy Jenkin
Starring	Hugh Dancy - John Truscott Jessica Alba - Selima Bob Hoskins - Henry Bullard Brenda Blethyn - Aggie Bullard Emily Mortimer - Cecilia Bullard Noah Taylor - Neville Shipperly Eugene Salleh - Belansai Junix Nocian - Famous
Release date(s)	2003
Running time	109 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Sleeping Dictionary is a 2003 film by Guy Jenkin. It was filmed in Sarawak and is set during the British colonial rule in the 1930s.

[edit] Plot

A young and naive Englishman, John Truscott (Hugh Dancy), goes to the British colony of Sarawak, Borneo to try and apply his father's work to the Iban society. He tries to civilize them, building schools and providing education for the Iban people. He is met with unfamiliar local customs. Selima (Jessica Alba) becomes his "sleeping dictionary," who sleeps with him and teaches him the language and the habits of the locals. Despite their intents, the two find themselves falling into a forbidden love.

[edit] Historical inaccuracies

This movie contains some historical inaccuracies and doesn't show the Iban in the true light, although admittedly some historical "factions" (half-fact/half-fiction) did exist. It is a well known fact that the Ibans did actually practice the art of "ngayap" which meant male youths were encouraged to court Iban maidens openly and with the permission of the elders in the longhouse.

It was also true that Iban maidens as "sleeping dictionaries" did exist, and to this day, there are in fact many prominent Eurasians in local Borneo society who are living proof of that practice.

Also, this film was set when the third British White Rajah, Charles Vyner Brooke, was on the throne in Sarawak. Sarawak was not actually a British colony at this time, and did not become one until after the Second World War when the Third Rajah abdicated.