The art design in The House of Sand is basically divided in two characteristics: the metropolitan objects of the time period, and the elements of regional culture of the Brazilian North. The first trip to the Lençóis Maranhenses, during pre-production was essential in the composition of the film sets.

“It was important for us to understand the local architecture. We noticed that the buildings had little colonial influence and much indigenous and African influence. The houses are made from primary resources found in the region: Carnaúba (wax drawn from the tree’s leaves), Buriti (palm tree) and clay,” recalls art director Tulé Peake. “On the other hand, there is the cultural cargo represented by the objects that they (the characters) brought from Rio de Janeiro. These objects ended up becoming extremely precious things. They cling to their world through these objects,” he adds.

Twelve houses were built, with the help of two set designers and one painter, in addition to locals, using the intrinsic engineering methods of local traditions.

“I didn’t want to use any of my methods, but rather those of the people from there. We almost didn’t use measuring tools. We measured everything in steps and palms, the same construction processes used by the locals,” says Tulé.

Some of the houses had to be reproduced in various versions to show the evolution of the characters, the different phases of the film and the geographical changes of the dunes.

“From an artistic viewpoint, we had to build various houses according to the stage of adaptation of the women. The first house was an imposition of Vasco and doesn’t follow the typology of the place. The second is made by Massu and true to local culture. The last is a mixture of both cultures with walls made of stud and mud and a brick floor,” explains Tulé. “To show the geographic changes during the first phase of the film we had to build the same house in four different stages. The first at the dried lagoon, the second on the peninsula with the lagoon full; the third in another place being swallowed by the sand; and the fourth cut in half and with no front to give the impression that it was buried even further,” adds Andrucha.

Like in all the production departments of The House of Sand, the characteristics of the location were cause for concern.

“The transportation of people, objects, construction material and equipment was very complicated. The art objects were carried in two trucks from Rio de Janeiro as far as the dirt road that led to Santo Amaro. From there the material was taken to the town on tractors. The sand engulfed the set and buried the objects, which caused continuity problems for the film,” remembers Tulé.

The script readings organized by the director were very useful for the conception of the film’s art direction. Tulé also highlights Andrucha’s working methods during filming.

“Andrucha has a really cool directing method. He is very generous, lets you work and provides things for the film from his soul. Despite being a film made on dunes, it was one of the projects in which I had most powers of intervention. The readings were determining factors for the composition of the art design. The participation of the “Fernandas” in this process was fundamental. As they constructed the characters, I crafted the art design,” he recalls.