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THE ENGLISH PATIENT
Set in North Africa and Italy before and during World War II, THE ENGLISH PATIENT is a passionate and epic drama of two haunting love stories that unfolds against a background of international upheaval. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kristin Scott Thomas, Naveen Andrews and Colin Firth.

THE ENGLISH PATIENT is produced by Academy Award winner Saul Zaentz ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Amadeus"), and written and directed by Anthony Minghella ("Truly Madly Deeply"), whose screenplay is based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Michael Ondaatje.

In his screenplay, Minghella has emphasized the novel's various themes--of fidelity, adultery, nationality and betrayals.

The story is told elliptically, through the histories of four characters who find themselves in a ruined monastery in Italy at the end of the Second World War. Each is a victim, each damaged in some mysterious way by the war. Slowly they reveal themselves and, in the process, the true identity of the English patient--the unknown survivor of a plane shot down over the Sahara who lies dying in the monastery--is made clear. Passion fires these stories, whether it is the raw passion between lovers, or the compulsive passion which drives men to explore remote and inhospitable regions, or to pursue across time and countries those they think have wronged them.

Also appearing in THE ENGLISH PATIENT are Julian Wadham, Jurgen Prochnow and Kevin Whately. The director of photography is John Seale (RAIN MAN, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT); production designer is two time Academy Award winner Stuart Craig (GANDHI, DANGEROUS LIAISONS); costume designer is Ann Roth (PLACES IN THE HEART, THE BIRDCAGE); film editor is Academy Award nominee Walter Murch (GHOST, THE GODFATHER, PART III); Gabriel Yared (BETTY BLUE, WINGS OF COURAGE) is the composer; the make-up is by Academy Award nominee Fabrizio Sforza (THE ADVENTURES OF BARON VON MUNCHAUSEN, LORENZO'S OIL). Line producer is Alessandro von Normann (THE GODFATHER, PART III, in addition to numerous films by Federico Fellini and Michaelangelo.)

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