The Sheltering Sky
Brief Synopsis
A romantic drama set in the Sahara Desert in 1948.
Cast & Crew
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Bernardo Bertolucci
Director
Debra Winger
Kit Moresby
John Malkovich
Port Moresby
Campbell Scott
George Tunner
Jill Bennett
Mrs Lyle
Timothy Spall
Eric Lyle
Film Details
Also Known As
Il Te' Nel Deserto, Sheltering Sky, Te' Nel Deserto, Un The au Sahara, cielo protector, El
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Drama
Erotic
Romance
Release Date
1990
Production Company
Corbett & Keene; Film Trustees Ltd; Glinwood Films; Glinwood Films Ltd; Rafael; Recorded Picture Company; Sahara Company Ltd; Shochiku-Fuji Company Ltd; Warner Bros. Pictures
Distribution Company
WARNER BROS. PICTURES DISTRIBUTION (WBPD); 20th Century Fox International; Acteurs Auteurs Associés (AAA); Bskyb; Clmc Multimedia Sa; Concorde Films; Hoyts Distribution; Iberoamericana Films; Independent Productions; Jugendfilm; Monopol Films; Opal/Solopan; Palace Pictures; Penta Distribuzione; Shochiku-Fuji Company Ltd; Stiller Films; Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group; Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution; Zeta Films
Location
Tangiers, Morocco; Sahara Desert, North Africa; Quarzazate, Morocco; Niger, Nigeria; London, England, United Kingdom; Algeria; Cinecitta Studios, Rome, Italy
Technical Specs
Duration
2h 15m
Synopsis
A romantic drama set in the Sahara Desert in 1948.
Director
Bernardo Bertolucci
Director
Cast
Debra Winger
Kit Moresby
John Malkovich
Port Moresby
Campbell Scott
George Tunner
Jill Bennett
Mrs Lyle
Timothy Spall
Eric Lyle
Eric Vu-an
Belqassim
Amina Annabi
Mahrnia
Philippe Morier-genoud
Captain Broussard
Sotigui Kouyate
Abdelkader
Tom Novembre
French Immigration Officer
Ban Smail
Smail
Kamel Cherif
Ticket Seller
Afifi Mohamed
Mohamed
Brahim Oubana
Young Arab
Carolyn Defonseca
Miss Ferry
Veronica Laz¿r
Nun
Rabea Tami
Blind Dancer
Nicoletta Braschi
French Woman
Menouer Samiri
Bus Driver
Keltoum Alaoui
Woman In Hotel Du Ksar
Mohamed Ixa
Caravan Leader
Ahmed Azoum
Young Tuareg
Alghabid Kanakan
Young Tuareg
Gambo Alkabous
Young Tuareg
Sidi Kasko
Young Tuareg
Azahra Attayoub
Belqassim'S Wife
Maghnia Mohamed
Belqassim'S Wife
Oumou Alghabid
Belqassim'S Wife
Sidi Alkhadar
Little Sidi
Crew
Karim Abouobayd
Production Assistant (Morocco)
James Acheson
Costume Designer
Renato Agostini
Special Effects Supervisor
Zakaria Alaoui
Production Manager (Morocco)
Giuseppe Alberti
Other
William Aldrich
Executive Producer
Claudio Amati
3rd Assistant Director
Linda Armstrong
Makeup
Don Banks
Boom Operator
Mohamed Ben Hmamane
Production Assistant (Morocco)
Djaffar Bennaissa
Production Assistant (Algeria)
John Bernard
Location Manager (Morocco)
Rino Bernardini
Other
Bernardo Bertolucci
Screenwriter
John Birkinshaw
Costume Assistant
Danilo Bollettini
Special Effects Technician
Paul Bowles
Source Material (From Novel)
Filippo Cafolla
Gaffer
Sabrina Canale
Other
Nicoletta Canevari
2nd Assistant Director
Serena Canevari
1st Assistant Director
Gabriella Christiani
Editor
David Coldham
Other
Dean Coldham
Other
Bernard Collins
Carpenter
Hazel Crombie
Production Accountant
Mano Dayak
Other
Brahim Derham
Location Manager (Morocco)
Robert Devine
Construction Manager Assistant
Chiaf Diab
Production Assistant (Algeria)
Abdessamad Dinia
2nd Assistant Director (Algeria)
Suzanne Durrenberger
Script Supervisor
Paul Engelen
Chief Makeup
Antonio Etzi
Craft Service
Echaref Fouzia
Other
Celestia Fox
Casting (London)
Joe Fox
Carpenter
John Frankish
Art Direction (Quarzazte)
Bonaventura Fraulo
Property Master
Driss Gaidi
Location Manager (Morocco)
Frank Gardiner
Costume Designer Assistant
Marina Grappelli
Accountant Assistant
Hind Hanif
Production Coordinator (Morocco)
Ahmed Hatimi
1st Assistant Director (Algeria)
Richard Horowitz
Music
Colin Jamison
Chief Hairstyles
Oum Keltoum
3rd Assistant Director (Algeria)
Geoffrey Kingsley
Construction Manager
Philip Kohler
Location Manager (Algeria/Niger)
Roberto Malerba
Production Assistant
Peter Mann
Carpenter
Alfredo Marchetti
Key Grip
Stefano Marino
Bestboy
Antonio Marra
Bestboy
Fernand Moszkovicz
Consultant To Bernardo Bertolucci
David Motta
Sound Maintenance
Nia Mustapha
Production Manager (Algeria)
Brian Neighbour
Carpenter
Angelo Novi
Stills (Algeria)
Denise O'dell
Production Supervisor
Mark Peploe
Screenwriter
Leslie Phipps
Other
Michele Picciaredda
Camera Operator
Richard Pointing
Costume Supervisor
Joel Proust
Wrangler Supervisor
John F Ralph
Art Direction (Tangier)
Anthony Rhone
Carpenter
Barry Richardson
Hairstyles
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Music
Andrew Sanders
Art Direction Supervisor
Michael Saxton
Post-Production Supervisor
Ferdinando Scarfiotti
Production Designer
Ivan Sharrock
Sound Recording Mixer
Les Silk
Other
Gianni Silvestri
Production Designer
Stephen Simmons
Art Direction (Algeria)
Cynthia Sleiter
Set Dresser
Elvio Sordoni
Assistant Editor
Adrian Start
Carpenter
Vittorio Storaro
Director Of Photography
Ron Swinburne
Other
Marmouria Tamar
Production Assistant (Algeria)
Ann Tasker
Publicist
Juliet Taylor
Casting Director (Usa)
Jeremy Thomas
Producer
Gabriella Toro
Production Coordinator
Lucio Trentini
Production Manager
Enrico Umetelli
Camera Operator
Derek Whorlow
Carpenter
Ray Williams
Music Coordinator
David Williamson
Carpenter
Film Details
Also Known As
Il Te' Nel Deserto, Sheltering Sky, Te' Nel Deserto, Un The au Sahara, cielo protector, El
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Drama
Erotic
Romance
Release Date
1990
Production Company
Corbett & Keene; Film Trustees Ltd; Glinwood Films; Glinwood Films Ltd; Rafael; Recorded Picture Company; Sahara Company Ltd; Shochiku-Fuji Company Ltd; Warner Bros. Pictures
Distribution Company
WARNER BROS. PICTURES DISTRIBUTION (WBPD); 20th Century Fox International; Acteurs Auteurs Associés (AAA); Bskyb; Clmc Multimedia Sa; Concorde Films; Hoyts Distribution; Iberoamericana Films; Independent Productions; Jugendfilm; Monopol Films; Opal/Solopan; Palace Pictures; Penta Distribuzione; Shochiku-Fuji Company Ltd; Stiller Films; Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group; Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution; Zeta Films
Location
Tangiers, Morocco; Sahara Desert, North Africa; Quarzazate, Morocco; Niger, Nigeria; London, England, United Kingdom; Algeria; Cinecitta Studios, Rome, Italy
Technical Specs
Duration
2h 15m
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Expanded Release in United States January 4, 1991
Released in United States 1996
Released in United States November 1990
Released in United States on Video May 1, 1991
Released in United States Winter December 12, 1990
Shown at London Film Festival November 8-25, 1990.
Began shooting September 21, 1989.
Completed shooting January 26, 1990.
William Hurt and Melanie Griffith were Bertolucci's first choices for the leads. Film shot for two months in the Sahara starting in November 1989. A co-production between Italy and Gibraltar. Vittorio Storaro was cited for best cinematography of 1990 by the New York Film Critics Circle.
Released in United States 1996 (Shown in Los Angeles (Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex) August 31 - September 2 as part of program "Bravo Bertolucci" June 29 - September 2, 1996.)
Expanded Release in United States January 4, 1991
Released in United States on Video May 1, 1991
Released in United States November 1990 (Shown at London Film Festival November 8-25, 1990.)
Released in United States Winter December 12, 1990
