According to Clemens Schick, he and Wagner Moura did not get along when they first met, but became close friends after filming their scenes.
When the film opened in Brazil, there was a lot of adverse publicity regarding the casting of Wagner Moura, the country's biggest male star, appearing in a gay film.
Director Karim Aïnouz - who is Brazilian - used to hang out at the titular beach when he was growing up.
In the film there is a character named Ayrton in honor of Ayrton Senna. According to the director, Ayrton's personality of the film was built upon heroic figures, and the three-time Formula One champion was one of the bases that helped to consolidate this character.