In 1997, this movie was nominated for an Oscar in the category "best foreign language film". Marie Theisen, who was 15 years old during the filming, had the main role in it. In an interview, she said that she realized her full nude swimming scene was difficult to accept for the American audience, but she thought it was well done and absolutely necessary for the context.
The scenes where Hildegun Riise and Marie Theisen are shown swimming in the nude, were filmed in Tistedal, Norway.
The film takes place in the years around 1960.
Marie Theisen's debut. After this film, she also acted in Blessed Are Those Who Thirst (1997). Then she abandoned acting, dedicating herself to journalism. She then became a psychologist.