The Scent of Eucalyptus Oil

After a fire that broke out over a decade ago that left a mother and daughter with permanent burn scars, Mei Wa struggles as a single mother to make ends meet as a dishwasher at a hotel banquet. Her 18-year-old daughter returns home one day after studying abroad in Australia for the past eight months, which surprises Mei Wa, who expected her daughter to return the following day instead. The tension between mother and daughter is stifling, as awkwardness fills the air, both unsure about how to carry a proper conversation with one another. Jia Yi struggles to break the news to her mother that she intends to work in Australia after graduation and does not plan to return home for an extended period of time. Mei Wa, on the other hand, is still guilt-stricken and traumatized by the fire, feeling that she hasn't fulfilled her duties as her mother and remains unwilling to let go of her daughter who is growing up. The story follows the lives of the pair during the week of Jia Yi’s return, as the two grapple to find closure from the past.