Russia's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006)
In Germany the film is only available in the original language (Russian) with German subtitles, although it has been given a German title ("Der Italiener") at the Berlin Film Festival (2005). On the the German DVD edition English subtitles can be found in addition.
The shooting of the city where the mother of the hero Kolya Spiridonov lives was held in Vyborg.