The film was to be completely filmed on the island of Saint-Pierre, but when the snow failed to arrive, the production had to move further north to Newfoundland for certain sequences.
Director Patrice Leconte approached Emir Kusturica for the role of Neel Auguste after seeing a newspaper picture of the director looking exactly how he pictured Auguste.
The title refers in part to the French nickname "veuve" (widow) of the guillotine. Although the French dialogue often uses this word for the device, it is never translated as "widow" in the English subtitles.
The ship that brought the guillotine from Martinique was played by the Gazela Primiero, a Portuguese fishing vessel which now lives at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.
'Alain Corneau' was to direct the film in 1997, but abandoned the production after disagreements with the films producers.