“House of Sand” has much to say about the status of women, mother-daughter relations, survival and choices made in the context of overwhelming difficulties. In the beginning Montenegro is Dona Maria, mother of Áurea (Torres), who, pregnant, is being taken against her will by her controlling husband to this inhospitable location where he has purchased a deed to land, if you can call all that sand land. The only others are in the area are descendants of runaway slaves who eek out existence by fishing and trading with infrequent travelers. After the unexpected and not unwelcome death of Áurea’s husband, the women are left to fend for themselves. The problem: finding a way to escape back to civilization.

But that isn’t easy, and the immediate difficulty is survival. In the neighboring settlement there is Massu, who helps them and becomes close to them. From 1910-1919 Massu is portrayed by Seu Jorge, and later by Luiz Melodia. Each effort of Áurea to leave is thwarted and as the years pass there is a level of adjustment. She has a daughter who in turn also fixes her mind on leaving.

The film, steeped in the circumstances of isolation, has a lyrical and magical quality as outside forces of civilization are introduced, such as a foreign scientific expedition to record an eclipse. There is also an interracial bond that develops, and when there is a burst of sexuality at one point in the drama it comes with a fierce force of passion and release. The way in which the film and the cast move through generations is fascinating, both with respect to the acting and to the writing in the screenplay by Elena Soárez, and director Andrucha Waddington (in real life Torres’ husband) blends the geographical sweep with the personal in a steadily captivating manner. The cinematography by Ricardo Della Rosa plays a major part in creating the enveloping atmosphere.