The film traces a white woman’s return to her childhood home in Cameroon. She recalls life in the colonial outpost during the 1950s, a time when she was oblivious to the racism and oppression faced by her African servant. Denis examines personal past and systemic prejudice with the clear eyes of a veteran filmmaker in Chocolat. While her style has grown to become more audacious in subsequent films, this film signifies an essential chapter in the development of a singular artist.