Elizabeth Reaser' Norwegian pronunciation was so bad that after Dagbladet (one of Norway's biggest news-papers) stumbled upon this film, they posted a clip from it with the title "What is she trying to say?"
Most of the Norwegian and German was not scripted, but made up by the actors during filming and is gibberish.
Dan Futterman was originally cast as Olaf, but by the time the movie was ready to shoot, Futterman was committed to Capote (2005) so he recommended Tim Guinee for the role.
Won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Florida Film Festival.
Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote Sweet Land "is a type of American independent we don't see often enough, a beautifully photographed film (in 35-millimeter no less) that celebrates its regional identity. In addition, it's sure-footed enough to tread on the borders of sentimentality without falling into that ever-seductive trap."