Once the screenplay was completed, it was sent to the relatives of the monks to receive their approval.
The official French submission for the Foreign Language Film Award at the 83rd Academy Awards.
Mostly shot in an abandoned monastery in Azrou, Morocco.
In researching the screenplay, director Xavier Beauvois spent six days living at the Tamie Abbey in Savoie. All the actors were required to do the same as well.
When the film was released in the United Kingdom, it was only shown in 16 cinemas. Nevertheless it still managed to crack the top 15 films of the week.