The story developed from the Jewish filmmaker's interest in dispersed cultures.
Though never expressly stated, the film takes place in early 1970s Mexico.
The unintelligible whispering Maricela hears while trying to sleep is the spirit of her deceased mother, Lourdes. It translates to "you are the body of my body, the soul from my soul... I will always be here, in a hundred years, in a thousand."
The prayer Maricela recites at her shrine translates to "bless the departed souls of Tenochtitlan, the innocents that were given no mercy."
The necklace Maricela gives to the boy is strung with a silver totem pole charm, topped by an eagle. She also gives him an eagle carved from stone to add to the shrine. In Native American culture, eagles represent strength, wisdom, freedom and power.