The Sheltering Sky
“A woman's dangerous and erotic journey...”
Synopsis
An American couple drift toward emptiness in postwar North Africa.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2012-01-24
Top Cast
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Debra Winger
Kit
John Malkovich
Port
Campbell Scott
Tunner
Jill Bennett
Mrs. Lyle
Timothy Spall
Eric Lyle
Eric Vu-An
Belqassim
Amina Annabi
Mahrnia
Philippe Morier-Genoud
Captain Broussard
Sotigui Kouyaté
Abdelkader
Tom Novembre
French Immigration Officer
Mohamed Ben Smail
Smail
Kamel Cherif
Ticket Seller
Mohammed Afifi
Mohammed
Brahim Oubana
Young Arab
Carolyn De Fonseca
Miss Ferry
Veronica Lazăr
Nun
Rabea Tami
Blind Dancer
Nicoletta Braschi
French Woman
Release History & Theatrical Window
December 12, 1990
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$25M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$2.1M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.08x
-$22.9M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Bernardo Bertolucci
- Screenplay & Story
- Bernardo Bertolucci, Mark Peploe
- Original Score
- Ryuichi Sakamoto
- Original Title
- The Sheltering Sky
- Country of Origin
- Italy, United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- Arabic, English, French
- Runtime
- 2h 18m
- Production Budget
- $25M
- Worldwide Gross
- $2.1M
- Production Studios
- Recorded Picture Company, Aldrich Group, Film Trustees Ltd., TAO Film
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci, Mark Peploe, Paul Bowles
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Vittorio Storaro
Gabriella Cristiani
Jeremy Thomas, William Aldrich
Department Leadership Roster
Vittorio Storaro
Director of Photography
Gabriella Cristiani
Editor
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Original Music Composer
Bernardo Bertolucci
Screenplay
Mark Peploe
Screenplay
Gianni Silvestri
Production Design
Jeremy Thomas
Producer
Bernardo Bertolucci
Director
James Acheson
Costume Design
Ferdinando Scarfiotti
Production Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Sheltering Sky.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Sheltering Sky.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Sheltering Sky
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Sheltering Sky about?
An American couple drift toward emptiness in postwar North Africa.
Who directed The Sheltering Sky?
The Sheltering Sky was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.
Who stars in The Sheltering Sky?
The principal cast of The Sheltering Sky includes Debra Winger, John Malkovich, Campbell Scott, Jill Bennett, Timothy Spall.
When was The Sheltering Sky released and how long is it?
The Sheltering Sky was released in 1990 with a total runtime of 2h 18m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Sheltering Sky?
The Sheltering Sky had a reported production budget of $25M and grossed $2.1M at the worldwide box office (0.08 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Sheltering Sky?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Sheltering Sky was composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Is The Sheltering Sky based on a book or true story?
The Sheltering Sky is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Paul Bowles".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Sheltering Sky?
The Sheltering Sky holds official age classifications: FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).