BEYOND THE SANDS (1974) – drama movie online

Directed by: Radu Gabrea
Script: Fănuș Neagu, adapted from the novel „The Angel Cried Out”
Cast: Dan Nuțu, George Constantin, Mircea Albulescu, Emil Botta, Gina Patrichi, Violeta Andrei, Vasile Nițulescu, Gheorghe Dinică, Ernst Maftei, Constantin Rauțchi, Ștefan Mihăilescu-Brăila
Producers: House of movies 1 (Bucharest)
Cinematography by: Dinu Tănase
Edited by: Iolanda Mântulescu
Sound: Andrei Papp
Music: Tiberiu Olah
Year: 1974
Category: Feature film
Genre: Drama
Duration: 100 minutes

19,341 – Cinepub viewers

PLOT SUMMARY

In the area of Braila, social and passionate dramas have an ending that cannot be avoided even when the heroes of the movie think they can detach themselves from reality “beyond the sands”.

AWARDS:

• 1974 – Cannes (Quinzaine des Realisateurs) – Best Romanian film of the 70s

CRITICAL REVIEWS:

“The theme of natural justice turns into a tragic guilt, punishing the individualistic forcing of the impossible in the face of the new laws of social life.” (ceff.ro)

“With this film, the director set out to screen a successful novel of the time, “The Angel Cried Out” by Fănuș Neagu: the story of a strange collectivity of disinherited people, poor people from the lands of Braila migrated to Dobrogea, whose poverty and needs alter their lives, feelings and minds, pushing them to the periphery of society and leading them to extreme acts. There is a seeming picturesqueness in BEHIND THE SANDS: the grotesque types of the human landscape conceal dramas, and, ‘beyond the masks’, we read disturbing life stories, such as that of the protagonist, whose destiny has been marked by the passion of an illusory revenge.” (Călin Căliman, ” The History of Romanian Film”, 3rd ed., 2017)

“This is an ambitious and exciting movie, in which director Radu Gabrea shows his effort of self-development and exploration of complex themes. With an original narrative construction and powerful performances, this movie brings to the forefront the human dramas and moral dilemmas of a tumultuous period.” (ceff.ro)

TRIVIA

• Radu Gabrea was an engineer for 6 years before entering the world of cinema: “For me, engineering was a break. (…) It helped me a lot, because I was able to make a living out of engineering without having to make other compromises. By the time I made my first movie and I was successful, I was only dedicated to cinema.” (Radu Gabrea)
• The film was originally released in 1973, but was stopped immediately afterwards and censored for a whole year: “Ceaușescu came back angry from a visit to West Germany because the Germans wouldn’t give him a license for a plane. We had the premiere on Monday. He came on Saturday. The movie was shown on air for promotion. When Ceaușescu saw the movie, he was told that it was a new Romanian movie, which he said “beats of the revolution”, which is why it was censored for a whole year. After a year, the movie came out and went to Cannes”. (Radu Gabrea)
• The film has been seen by 886,922 spectators in Romanian cinemas, according to a situation of the number of spectators recorded by Romanian films from the date of premiere until December 31, 2014 compiled by the National Center of Cinematography.
• After this movie, the director left the country. He settled in the Federal Republic of Germany, even though the project “Gamble with Death”, based on the novel of the same name by Zaharia Stancu, was waiting for him at home. In the end, the movie was made by Andrei Blaier and released under the title “Through the Ashes of Empire“, with Gheorghe Dinică and Gabriel Oseciuc in the leading roles.

LINES

“I turn to his fortune like a worm to lard.” – Vetina (Gina Patrichi)

“And you have a white face like your father. The face of a drowned man.” – Che Andrei (Mircea Albulescu)

“Do you know what Dobrogea is? A lump of lime mixed with salt. Dogs howl there worse than the Turks in Anatolia. Everything howls. Especially the sea. It howls.” – Che Andrei (Mircea Albulescu)

“Here, on the Danube, death is paid with death.” – Nae Caramet (George Constantin)

“Tell me who killed my father!” – Ion Mohreanu (Dan Nuțu)

“He died stuffed with money; worthless German money. He crawled into the garbage and swallowed you. He was the thief of thieves.” – Che Andrei (Mircea Albulescu)

“We stand against the Great Harmony. We disturb it with everything we do and think.” – Prince Ipsilanti (Emil Botta)

“He has the gift of living by laughing. He sees life as it is. We can’t live like him.” – Magae (Stefan Radof)

“He is the only heir. If the times come back, it’s all his: the castle, the pond, the forest – everything.” (about Prince Ipsilanti) – Nae Caramet (George Constantin)

“I was a Grand Duke of Thrace!” – Prince Ipsilanti (Emil Botta)

“Today, wheat is paid with gold!” – Nae Caramet (George Constantin)

“Money and women never make me sick.” – Nae Caramet (George Constantin)

ARTICLES

• How easily Ceausescu censored a movie. “Beyond the Sands” and Radu Gabrea’s revelations – evenimentulistoric.ro
• “Beyond the Sands” – An ambitious movie by Radu Gabrea: a journey into a universe of war and revolution – ceff.ro
• Radu Gabrea, the director who defied Ceausescu – ziuaconstanta.ro
• “Behind the Scenes of Cinema”. How the director Radu Gabrea deceived the vigilance of the State Security Investigators – adevarul.ro
• Radu Gabrea: The director who portrayed the screen with inspiration – ceff.com
• Radu Gabrea’s mutilated movie at the 20th Cineclub FILM – movienews.ro
• The director Radu Gabrea, an old friend of the Romanian Cultural Institute, has passed away – icr.ro
• The director and screenwriter Radu Gabrea died – hotnews.ro

This premiere is part of a national archive project supported by the Romanian National Film Centre.
Special thanks goes to the Romanian Filmmakers Union and to the Romanian Film Archive.

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