During filming on location in Greenland Richard Harris got into the freezing water of the Arctic for a scene where he has to try and climb out of the water onto an ice floe. Afterwards he said it was madness that he had agreed to do it.
Director Bille August has admitted that the film did not turn out as well as he hoped. He said that in hindsight, adapting Peter Høeg's novel into film had serious problems from the script stage.
The film cast includes three Oscar winners: Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent and Peter Capaldi; and three Oscar nominees: Richard Harris, Robert Loggia and Tom Wilkinson.
The child's footsteps in the rooftop snow were in reality made by Danish special effects designer Hans-Peter Ludvigsen - wearing very small shoes.