Synopsis

During Napoleon's 1798 campaign in Egypt, a young French officer becomes separated from his unit and stranded in the desert. After finding refuge among ancient ruins, he encounters a female leopard and gradually forms an extraordinary bond with her. As their relationship deepens, the officer is forced to choose between returning to human society and remaining in the animal world.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is adapted from Honore de Balzac's 1830 short story "A Passion in the Desert."

• It was filmed in Jordan, including Petra, as well as in Moab, Utah. Principal photography took place from April 1 through June 28, 1995.

• The production reportedly had a budget of about $5 million, which included raising and training the leopard cubs used in the film.

• Three trained leopards were used for the animal scenes. Their unpredictability made the sequences especially demanding, including a scene in which the soldier shares an antelope carcass with one of the animals.

• The desert material was photographed on location rather than created primarily through studio effects. The Utah landscape was used to match the visual character of the Jordanian locations.

• The film was also released under the alternate title "Simoom: A Passion in the Desert." "Simoom" is the name given to the leopard.

• The score combines music by Jose Nieto with additional music by Hamza El Din, including the track "Helalisa."

• The film received a limited U.S. theatrical release through Fine Line Features on June 12, 1998.