Plot:
Renee Vivien was a well-known lesbian poet living in Paris, France in the early 1900’s. She wrote beautiful, intimate poems about the women she loved and the heartache and heartbreak she endured. In 1906 she received a letter from an admirer, Kerime, a Muslim and wife of a Turkish diplomat. They carried on a torrid letter-writing affair over a 3 year period, only meeting in person on a few occasions.
The film opens on a Japanese garden, the camera traveling past a koi pond and azaleas to discover Renee, in her study, trying to write about the last time she saw Kerime, but struggling to bring the memory of the day back. An Erik Satie piano piece plays on the Edison phonograph. Renee’s concentration is interrupted when the mailman arrives. In the letters she receives there is one from Kerime. It is a picture of her, standing in full Islamic ceremonial dress next to her husband. On the back it says simply, “to remember me.”
Seeing Kerime brings Renee’s memory into sharp focus. She begins to write anew. Renee had gone to the park to meet Kerime, unsure if her lover had gotten her message. Finally, she sees her. They walk to each other, bodies anticipating the touch. While the poem unfolds in Renee’s mind, the action unfolds on the screen – Renee’s hand touching, traveling lightly along the edges of Kerime’s body. Kerime drops the veil covering her mouth and the lover’s are about to kiss when Kerime’s husband calls from afar. She rehooks her veil and flees. A tear slips down Renee's cheek as the aria “O Mio Bambino Caro,” swells in.
Back in her study Renee puts down her pen. The same tear fall down her cheek, splashing on the page. The poem is finished. She looks out into her garden as the camera pulls away and back out into the garden. The credits roll as the aria crescendos, the singer lamenting the loss of her love.
Plot:
