Set in this day and age, in a modern monastery, Jan Jakub Kolaski's latest film, Jasminum, explores an array of themes and questions. Perhaps most notably, "what is love?", "what constitutes a miracle?", and "what is true (religion or science or both)?" or, "what is right?" While the film provides an ambiguous answer to these and other questions, all are interwoven into a beautiful film.
Jasminum is narrated by the five year old Eugenia, who announces in the opening sequence of the film that, since she is unsure how best to tell this story, she might as well begin, "quite plainly." And so, the unusual setting of the modern-day monastery is described through the eyes of a most charming and innocent voice. There are three ostensibly soon-to-be saints in the cloister, brothers Sweetcherry, Birdcherry, and Plum, in addition to the prior and the kindhearted cook, Sanitas. The prior is waiting for a miracleany miraclefrom the three sequestered monks, when Eugenia and her mother, Natasha arrive. Natasha has been commissioned to restore the altar-paintings, but the prior is reluctant to allow her to work, insisting instead that the paintings "will restore themselves." Nevertheless, the mother and daughter move into town and, as Natasha begins to remove layers of dirt and years of grime from the paintings, together, the pair begins to unveil layers of the film and years of the monastery's history.
At first, all that is revealed about the monastery are more questions. The saintly monks all emit distinct smells that correlate with their names and captivate the attention of the town's women. What causes this phenomenon? The prior insists it is a years-old miracle, while Natasha, a committed scientist, attempts to duplicate the smells and their effects with chemistry. However, neither the prior nor Natasha can prove the case for religion or science entirely. Later, as it is revealed that once upon a time Birdcherry was engaged to Natasha, the question of what is true love is brought into play. Romantic love was not enough to satisfy Birdcherry, who instead is now searching for answers in divine love. There is considerable love between Natasha and Eugenia, but not enough to keep Natasha from seeking out her former lover at the cloister. The prior harbors an unusual affection for films. Sanitas loves animals and Saint Roch. Additionally, it is later discovered that the maybe-miracle of the monks' scents began years ago when Birdcherry's predecessor had his lover, Jasmine, die outside the walls of the monastery of a broken heart. Furthermore, Sanitas is obviously taken with the delightful Eugenia, ("no pet names, please" and "are you surprised?"), but are any of these kinds of love superior to one another?
How to answer these questions? What is the truth of these matters? Is there a right answer? Can one solution solve all of these problems on its own? According to the message in Jasminum, no. What constitutes a miracle? Are the cloistered monks emitting enhanced scents miraculous? Or is it the chemistry that allows Natasha to duplicate their smells and restore centuries-old paintings in the monastery that should be considered the real miracle? Or perhaps Natasha's daughter Eugenia, the young girl who inspires such felicity among the monks is a miracle in herself? The ghost lovers? Those living and in love? Ultimately, the film provides an interesting but illusive answer to these questions. There is "something, but not everything, in a smell." Likewise, there is something (of science, love, and religion), but not everything, in a miracleand something of a miracle in love. As unsatisfactory a conclusion as this may be to some, the film itself is beautiful and endearing. "A film is a kind of miracle," asserts the prior, early in the film, and in the case of Jasminum, at least, it is true.
Jasminum is narrated by the five year old Eugenia, who announces in the opening sequence of the film that, since she is unsure how best to tell this story, she might as well begin, "quite plainly." And so, the unusual setting of the modern-day monastery is described through the eyes of a most charming and innocent voice. There are three ostensibly soon-to-be saints in the cloister, brothers Sweetcherry, Birdcherry, and Plum, in addition to the prior and the kindhearted cook, Sanitas. The prior is waiting for a miracleany miraclefrom the three sequestered monks, when Eugenia and her mother, Natasha arrive. Natasha has been commissioned to restore the altar-paintings, but the prior is reluctant to allow her to work, insisting instead that the paintings "will restore themselves." Nevertheless, the mother and daughter move into town and, as Natasha begins to remove layers of dirt and years of grime from the paintings, together, the pair begins to unveil layers of the film and years of the monastery's history.
At first, all that is revealed about the monastery are more questions. The saintly monks all emit distinct smells that correlate with their names and captivate the attention of the town's women. What causes this phenomenon? The prior insists it is a years-old miracle, while Natasha, a committed scientist, attempts to duplicate the smells and their effects with chemistry. However, neither the prior nor Natasha can prove the case for religion or science entirely. Later, as it is revealed that once upon a time Birdcherry was engaged to Natasha, the question of what is true love is brought into play. Romantic love was not enough to satisfy Birdcherry, who instead is now searching for answers in divine love. There is considerable love between Natasha and Eugenia, but not enough to keep Natasha from seeking out her former lover at the cloister. The prior harbors an unusual affection for films. Sanitas loves animals and Saint Roch. Additionally, it is later discovered that the maybe-miracle of the monks' scents began years ago when Birdcherry's predecessor had his lover, Jasmine, die outside the walls of the monastery of a broken heart. Furthermore, Sanitas is obviously taken with the delightful Eugenia, ("no pet names, please" and "are you surprised?"), but are any of these kinds of love superior to one another?
How to answer these questions? What is the truth of these matters? Is there a right answer? Can one solution solve all of these problems on its own? According to the message in Jasminum, no. What constitutes a miracle? Are the cloistered monks emitting enhanced scents miraculous? Or is it the chemistry that allows Natasha to duplicate their smells and restore centuries-old paintings in the monastery that should be considered the real miracle? Or perhaps Natasha's daughter Eugenia, the young girl who inspires such felicity among the monks is a miracle in herself? The ghost lovers? Those living and in love? Ultimately, the film provides an interesting but illusive answer to these questions. There is "something, but not everything, in a smell." Likewise, there is something (of science, love, and religion), but not everything, in a miracleand something of a miracle in love. As unsatisfactory a conclusion as this may be to some, the film itself is beautiful and endearing. "A film is a kind of miracle," asserts the prior, early in the film, and in the case of Jasminum, at least, it is true.