# Sahara Cross

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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Sahara Cross
| image          = Sahara-cross-poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = 
| native_name    = <!--(for non-English films: film's name in its native language)-->
| director       = [Tonino Valerii](/source/Tonino_Valerii)
| producer       = {{plainlist|*Donatella Senatore
*Giorgio Cardelli{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}}}}
| writer         =
| screenplay     = {{plainlist|*[Ernesto Gastaldi](/source/Ernesto_Gastaldi)
*[Adriano Belli](/source/Adriano_Belli)
*Tonino Valerii{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}}}}
| story          = Adriano Belli{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}}
| based_on       = <!-- {{based on|title of the original work|writer of the original work}} -->
| starring       = {{plainlist|*[Franco Nero](/source/Franco_Nero)
*[Michel Constantin](/source/Michel_Constantin)
*[Pamela Villoresi](/source/Pamela_Villoresi)}}
| narrator       =
| music          = [Riz Ortolani](/source/Riz_Ortolani){{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}}
| cinematography = [Franco Di Giacomo](/source/Franco_Di_Giacomo)
| editing        = [Mario Siciliano](/source/Mario_Siciliano){{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}}
| studio         = Cine Vera s.p.a.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}}
| distributor    = [Variety Distribution](/source/Variety_Distribution)
| released       = {{Film date|1977|9|7|Italy|df=y}}
| runtime        = 105 minutes{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}}
| country        = Italy{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}}
| language       = 
| budget         = 
| gross          = [₤](/source/Italian_lira)706.96 million
}}
'''''Sahara Cross''''' is a 1977 [Italian](/source/Italy) [action film](/source/action_film) directed by [Tonino Valerii](/source/Tonino_Valerii). It is the first Italian film to use [steadicam](/source/steadicam).<ref>Roberto Curti, ''Il mio nome è Nessuno. Lo spaghetti western secondo Tonino Valerii'', Unmondoaparte, Roma 2008, p. 77. {{ISBN|978-88-89481-17-2}}</ref><ref>David Ballerini, ''Steadicam. Una rivoluzione nel modo di fare cinema'', Falsopiano, Alessandria 1999, p. 70.</ref>

==Plot ==
{{no plot|date=October 2016}}

== Cast ==
*[Franco Nero](/source/Franco_Nero) as Jean Bellard
*[Michel Constantin](/source/Michel_Constantin) as Carl Mank
*[Pamela Villoresi](/source/Pamela_Villoresi) as Nicole
*[Mauro Barabani](/source/Mauro_Barabani) as Hamid
*[Antonio Cantafora](/source/Antonio_Cantafora) as Georges (as Michael Coby)
*[Nazzareno Zamperla](/source/Nazzareno_Zamperla) as Captain Zaft
*[Geoffrey Copleston](/source/Geoffrey_Copleston) as Colonel Brown
*[Pietro Valsecchi](/source/Pietro_Valsecchi) as Arab terrorist

==Production==
The film was originally very different than the completed film.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=231}} Valerii stated that the film was originally titled ''Arissa Ballerina'' and written by [Adriano Belli](/source/Adriano_Belli).{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=231}} Valerii commented that "In short, everything was the opposite of what [Hitchcock](/source/Alfred_Hitchcock) recommended, that is, that characters must ignore what the viewer knows. I told the producers I would make a film out of that script, because it just made no sense!"{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=231}} Gastaldi and Valerii re-wrote the script, but struggled as the Tunisian co-production signed on to Belli's script. Gastaldi's contribution added new motivations for characters and included a few new scenes such as the battle between two bulldozers.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=231}} Valerii wasn't initially happy with casting [Pamela Villoresi](/source/Pamela_Villoresi), stating that "Sometimes you have to make do with compromises or economical limitations, Villoresi is a very good actress, but I wouldn't cast her as a terrorist, if it weren't for a pre-signed agreement."{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=231}}

The film was shot in nine weeks.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=231}} It was shot at Cinecitta with exteriors shot in [Tunisia](/source/Tunisia).{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}} Valerii used a [steadicam](/source/steadicam) for the desert shots.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=231}} As it was a very first model, director of photography [Franco Di Giacomo](/source/Franco_Di_Giacomo) and cameraman [Gianfranco Transunto](/source/Gianfranco_Transunto) were sent for special training in [Vienna](/source/Vienna) to use it.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=231}}

==Release==
''Sahara Cross'' was released in Italy on 7 September 1977 where it was distributed by F.A.R.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}} The film grossed a total of 706,960,000 [Italian lira](/source/Italian_lire) on its theatrical run.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=230}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

===References===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book
 |last=Curti
 |first=Roberto
 |title=Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980
 |publisher=McFarland
 |isbn=978-0786469765
 |year=2013
 }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0076653}}
*[https://www.varietydistribution.it/en/catalogue/sahara-cross/ ''Sahara Cross''] at [Variety Distribution](/source/Variety_Distribution)

{{Tonino Valerii}}

Category:1977 films
Category:Italian action films
Category:1977 action films
Category:Films set in Tunisia
Category:Films shot in Tunisia
Category:Films about terrorism
Category:Films scored by Riz Ortolani
Category:Films set in deserts
Category:Films directed by Tonino Valerii
Category:Films with screenplays by Ernesto Gastaldi
Category:1977 Italian films

{{1970s-Italy-film-stub}}
{{1970s-action-film-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sahara Cross](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahara_Cross) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahara_Cross?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.