First-time director Jeroen Krabbé admitted that he very insecure about the movie. When he got a call from composer Henny Vrienten, he was convinced that Vrienten didn't like the first footage shot for the film, and wanted out. However, Vrienten had loved what he saw, and got so inspired that he called to demonstrate some of the score he had written for it.
Although Edwin de Vries is credited as the sole screenwriter, he admitted that he got some helpful input from Robert Mark Kamen in exchange for a painting created by director Jeroen Krabbé and a special thanks in the credits. One of Kamen's suggestions was to make Simcha (Adam Monty) mute, until his interaction with Chaja (Laura Fraser) slowly makes him talk again. Writer Carl Friedman, author of the original novel, was very enthusiastic about this addition, and regretted that she had not come up with the idea herself.
Isabella Rossellini hesitated to take the role up until the last moment, because she thought that as a Catholic, she could not convincingly play an Orthodox Jewish woman.
This film marked the directorial debut of Jeroen Krabbé for a theatrical feature, the first producer credit for Ate de Jong, as well as the first solo screenplay credit for Edwin de Vries.