The producers wanted the adaptation to be filmed in English but Natalie Portman fought for it to remain in Hebrew, like the book.
Writer/director Natalie Portman optioned the rights to the book in 2007 after talking with author Amos Oz and his wife over tea.
Natalie Portman said that Terrence Malick's advice for her directorial debut A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015)] was 'Make films your way and don't let anyone tell you that you need a three-act structure. You just make movies as you experience life.' [Indiewire 2016]