The English Patient

Set against the backdrop of World War II, 'The English Patient' follows a severely burned and unidentified man cared for by a Canadian nurse in an Italian villa, as his tragic love affair with a married woman is slowly revealed through his memories. Directed by Anthony Minghella and based on Michael Ondaatje's acclaimed novel, the film is a lush, emotionally complex meditation on love, identity, and the devastating consequences of passion during wartime.

• Won 9 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
• Ralph Fiennes was not Anthony Minghella's first choice for Almásy.
• Filmed on location in Tunisia, Italy, and England.
• The novel by Michael Ondaatje won the Booker Prize in 1992.
• Kristin Scott Thomas learned to speak French for her role.

• Every night I cut out my heart. But in the morning it was full again.
• I just want you to know, I'm not missing you yet.
• We are the real countries, not the boundaries drawn on maps.
• Swoon. I'll catch you.
• I once traveled with a guide who was taking me to Fez. He spoke to me of a woman he had loved who was married to another man. He said, 'In the desert, God only exists to those with faith. But the Almásy... he exists for everyone.'