“Andrucha Waddington's shimmering masterwork. . .  The redoubtable Fernanda Montenegro (Central Station) and her real-life daughter Fernanda Torres give spare but heartfelt performances. . . profoundly moving. Abetted by Ricardo Della Rosa's luxuriant wide-screen photography, The House of Sand succeeds magnificently in transporting the viewer to a place - both geographic and stylistic - they wouldn't think to venture to on their own. . . sweeping and visually ravishing tale. . . profoundly moving.”

“A quietly seductive elegy. . . a seamless sense of topographical texture and spatial editing.”

“How rare it is these days to see such a luminous epic untouched by the horrors of computer-generated backdrops or set elements ­ especially when there’s only a single location in the entire film.  Waddington’s grand new film brilliantly adheres to some old-school filmmaking techniques.”

“The cinematography is absolutely stunning, and the accomplished lead performances by the real-life mother-daughter acting team of Fernanda Montenegro (Central Station) and Fernanda Torres are fully realized.”

“a magical Brazilian period drama shot on location in the towering, endless sand dunes of Maranhão, in Northern Brazil. Fernanda Montenegro (who was nominated for best actress for Central Station) and Fernanda Torres both give fierce, physical performances as a mother and daughter stranded in the middle of nowhere. Judging from our relative responses, the movie may hit the sweet spot for older art-house audiences."