The plot was first suggested to director Whit Stillman, when he heard of An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), and thought it referred to two different people.
Stanley Kubrick greatly admired this film, calling it "a new way to have talk advance the narrative". He was especially impressed with Thomas Gibson, and cast him in Eyes Wide Shut (1999) without an audition on the basis of his performance here.
Chronologically this takes place after The Last Days of Disco (1998), even though The Last Days Of Disco was filmed after Barcelona (1994).
This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #807.
Whit Stillman: On the dance floor at the disco, along with cinematographer John Thomas, and a few of the camera crew in the opening shot as extras during "You've Got What It Takes", just before Ted and Montserrat arrive. Stillman is the one on the extreme left, looking into a teleprompter just off-camera (identifiable from the shining white light from the screen).