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Passion in the Desert
Passion in the Desert, or Simoom: A Passion in the Desert, is a 1997 film from director Lavinia Currier based on the 1830 short story "A Passion in the Desert" by Honoré de Balzac. The film follows the ventures of a young French officer named Augustin Robert (Ben Daniels) in late 18th-century Egypt during Napoleon Bonaparte's campaign to capture the country.
Plot
In 1798, Napoleon I has launched an invasion of Egypt. A frail and elderly artist, Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis (Michel Piccoli), has been commissioned by Napoleon to sketch the landscape and monuments of Egypt. French soldier Augustin Robert (Ben Daniels) has been assigned to keep Venture from being harassed by the other soldiers, but the unrelenting burden of this task soon takes its toll on Augustin. Mameluks attack the regiment's small encampment. In the aftermath, Augustin and Venture are now separated from their regiment. Walking in the arid landscape, under the blaze of the desert sun, they begin to suffer an unquenchable thirst, and Augustin is infuriated when the artist uses the last of their water to mix his paints.
More details
author | Honoré de Balzac Lavinia Currier |
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contentLocation | Egypt |
director | Lavinia Currier |
editor | Nicolas Gaster |
genre | adventure drama fantasy |
keywords | bedouin bicorne brand forced to kill french campaign in egypt and syria invasion of egypt lost city mameluk napoleon i napoleon i of france pass rescue strip suffer trap walk young woman |
musicBy | José Nieto |
producer | Jamil Dehlavi |
publisher | Fine Line Features Warner Home Video |