During pre-production 12,000 carnations had to be planted and a dozen olive trees, each several hundred years old, had to be transplanted.
Production of this film and Manon of the Spring (1986) happened concurrently over course of 30 weeks. The long shoot allowed Berri to depict the seasonal changes of the Provencal landscape. The shoot was so long that several cast members returned to Paris and performed stage and television roles on their breaks.
Jacques Villeret was director's first choice for the role of Ugolin but as Yves Montand did not agree, Daniel Auteuil was hired.
Inspired "Oru Maravathoor Kanavu", made in the Malayalam language in India