Originally, Martin Dejdar was intended to play Viki. Due to the actor's another commitments director Filip Renc eventually decided to cast himself instead.
During filming Anna Geislerová began a love affair (her first serious one) with Filip Renc, who was 11 years older than her.
Their relationship lasted until 1994.
Anna Geislerová was thirteen when she won the main role for this film, thanks to a friend who took her to a casting.
"A friend told me they were drinking wine on the Charles Bridge," the actress recalled.
The film was based on a short story by Josef Klíma, which was published in the book Brutality and was inspired by real events from 1984.
Barbora Hrzánová's Johanka is also based on a real character. Only this girl didn't actually burn to death. She broke her neck in an unfortunate fall down the stairs. Hrzánová herself also had a hard time during the filming of the final scene - a burning beam fell 5 centimetres next to her leg.