Le Portrait Interdit plot
In the mid-18th century, the Jesuit Jean-Denis Attiret is one of the official painters of the Imperial Court of China. He is entrusted with the honorable task of painting the portrait of Empress Ulanara. This concubine became empress after the death of Emperor Qian Long's first wife and would have a very special fate. She was a sort of romantic figure before her time and all that remains of her is this portrait with the enigmatic sensuality of the Asian Mona Lisa. The film tells of this feverish moment when the Chinese empress meets the Jesuit painter.