Michael Haneke began the project when Juliette Binoche wrote to him expressing an interest in working with him.
When the film was shot in August 1999, Juliette Binoche was pregnant. To disguise her condition she wore loose "unkept" clothes.
Director Trademark(Michael Haneke): [Use of extremely long static takes ending with abrupt cuts to black between scenes]: All of major scenes follow this technique.
The first scene of the film (following the last opening credit) is a single shot lasting over seven minutes.