Set in the 1930s in the remote rainforest of Borneo, The Sleeping Dictionary tells the story of the tempestuous and forbidden love affair between a young Englishman and a beautiful Iban tribeswoman. When John Truscott (Hugh Dancy - Black Hawk Down) takes a job in the British colonial outpost of Sarawak in Malaysia, he is given a native servant, Selima (Jessica Alba - TV's "Dark Angel"), who not only teaches him the local language but also shares his bed. This accepted custom is monitored closely by John's crusty superior, Henry Bullard, and Bullard's wife, Aggie, to ensure that no romantic attachments occur. When John and Selima fall openly and passionately in love, both the colonial authorities and the native population turn against them, setting in motion a chain of events that test the couple's resolve to the very limit.