Leonard Cohen had the idea for the film based upon his personal experiences and his song "The Guests".
It was originally intended for the Canadian pay TV network C-Channel, but when the network collapsed, the production was completed by Citytv with financial assistance from Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Canadian Film Development Corporation.
The film was released on video in 1996.
The film won a Golden Rose international television award at the 1984 Montreux TV festival in Montreux, Switzerland.
Final film of Celia Franca.