The first time a husband and wife both won awards at the Cannes Film Festival in separate categories for the same film, Bille August winning the Palme d'Or for Best Film and his wife Pernilla August winning for Best Actress.
Was originally shot as a six-hour miniseries but cut down to around a three hour film when it premiered at Cannes.
Ingmar Bergman personally picked Bille August to direct due to his love of Pelle le conquérant (1987) which he admitted to watching around seven times.
Both Max von Sydow and Pernilla August were directed by Ingmar Bergman prior to starring in this film as his grandfather and mother respectively.
Ingmar Bergman conceived of the film while writing his memoirs The Magic Lantern.