director of photography

The main concept behind the photography in The House of Sand was to transmit a panorama that reflected the drama lived by Áurea and Maria. The purpose was not to portray a beautiful landscape but rather an arid, hot and uninhabitable place.

“We didn’t want to show the location looking like paradise. The idea was to show a tough place, a place almost impossible to live in,” says director of photography, Ricardo Della Rosa. Numerous tests were run, in locations and in laboratories, in order to choose the negatives, filters and hours to film. “First, we did various tests over six months, in Arraial do Cabo. Afterwards, we worked with this material, carrying out diverse laboratory experiments. Then we took the camera to Lençóis and ran another series of tests there. We brought the material once again to the laboratory and Ricardo chose the negatives he wanted to use, the manner in which the light was filtered, we managed to have the sky always white,” recalls Andrucha.

“We also did some tests in São Paulo for the night scenes. We watched various films, however the main references ended up coming from painters like Caravaggio, George De La Tour and Portinari,” adds Della Rosa.

In order to favor the photography and spare the cast and crew from the midday heat, the director implemented a break of five hours during filming. If on the one hand the intermission relieved exposure to the sun, on the other, the day became much longer.

“We were very concerned about the sun. We filmed from 4:30am to 9:00am and then from 14:00 to nightfall. This allowed time for the team to rest and better lighting. The film’s two main characters are women, and working under the midday sun is arduous. The whole team worked in unison in favor of the photography and the actresses,” explains Andrucha.

According to Della Rosa, filming with celebrated actors like Fernanda Montenegro, Stênio Garcia and Fernanda Torres, made his job easier.

“Besides their exceptional acting, they have extraordinary positioning for the camera and lights, a privilege for any director of photography.”

ABOUT the PRODUCTION / INTERVIEWS / LOCATION / GALLERY production design / makeup & costumes / direction of photography / editing & visual effects / music
The main concept behind the photography in The House of Sand was to transmit a panorama that reflected the drama lived by Áurea and Maria. The purpose was not to portray a beautiful landscape but rather an arid, hot and uninhabitable place. “We didn’t want to show the location looking like paradise. The idea was to show a tough place, a place almost impossible to live in,” says director of photography, Ricardo Della Rosa. Numerous tests were run, in locations and in laboratories, in order to choose the negatives, filters and hours to film. “First, we did various tests over six months, in Arraial do Cabo. Afterwards, we worked with this material, carrying out diverse laboratory experiments. Then we took the camera to Lençóis and ran another series of tests there. We brought the material once again to the laboratory and Ricardo chose the negatives he wanted to use, the manner in which the light was filtered, we managed to have the sky always white,” recalls Andrucha. “We also did some tests in São Paulo for the night scenes. We watched various films, however the main references ended up coming from painters like Caravaggio, George De La Tour and Portinari,” adds Della Rosa. In order to favor the photography and spare the cast and crew from the midday heat, the director implemented a break of five hours during filming. If on the one hand the intermission relieved exposure to the sun, on the other, the day became much longer. “We were very concerned about the sun. We filmed from 4:30am to 9:00am and then from 14:00 to nightfall. This allowed time for the team to rest and better lighting. The film’s two main characters are women, and working under the midday sun is arduous. The whole team worked in unison in favor of the photography and the actresses,” explains Andrucha. According to Della Rosa, filming with celebrated actors like Fernanda Montenegro, Stênio Garcia and Fernanda Torres, made his job easier. “Besides their exceptional acting, they have extraordinary positioning for the camera and lights, a privilege for any director of photography.”