Because filming could not take place in Spain, and filming in Bulgaria was limited to a few weeks, production designer Alfred Hirschmeier and his crew painted whole mountainsides white, likening the relief in Germany to the one in Bulgaria.
In order to play the scenes where his character Wasja is close to dehydration most convincingly, 'Uli Thein' did not eat or drink a few days before the most important scenes. His lips got chapped, his eyes grew dimmer, and his acting was very authentic.