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Sample Track 1:
"Tive Razao" from Cru
Sample Track 2:
"Mania Do Peitao" from Cru
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Cru
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House of Sand Press Release

The House of Sand brings together for the first time two of Brazil's most celebrated actresses. Academy Award® nominee Fernanda Montenegro and Palme d'Or winner Fernanda Torres shine in this unique film about the lives of three generations of women. They persevere as they are challenged by the forces of Mother Nature and the tough, inhospitable sand dunes of northern Brazil, which play pivotal roles in their lives. Brought to life by the stunning cinematography of Ricardo Della Rosa, The House of Sand celebrates the struggles, passions and deep hidden desires of people trapped by their fate.

Aurea (Fernanda Torres) is brought to the northern Brazilian town of Maranhão by her insane husband Vasco (Ruy Guerra), who suffers from delusions that the barren land may be profitably farmed. A calamitous turn of events leaves Aurea, now pregnant, and her mother Maria (Fernanda Montenegro) alone in the desert in a house full of sand. They eventually find friendship and food through Massu (Seu Jorge), who lives at a quilombo (a self-sustaining society originally formed by escaped slaves). Aurea wrestles with her unhappy fate but slowly grows accustomed to the new rhythm of life in the dunes.

Years pass and we find Aurea (now played by Montenegro) at peace in the desert, while her wild and sexually promiscuous daughter Maria (played by Torres) lacks social propriety. Maria yearns to see the outside world and her dream is eventually fulfilled. However, the reality of the sand dunes - manifested through sweeping shots of the horizon, the sound of the wind skimming the sand and the soft, assured pacing of Waddington's direction - will never leave her psyche.

Waddington artfully incorporates seminal moments of human history into his narrative; we glimpse American warplanes escaping German U-boats from the perspective of people unaware that war is being waged, and witness the 1919 solar eclipse that proved Einstein's theory of General Relativity. The passage of time, the distanced significance of world events and the strength of Nature are beautifully captured in this powerful film about three generations of women.
- Diana Sanchez

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From the Brazilian Slums to The Life Aquatic: Discovering the ...
House of Sand Press Release
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