Two sources of inspiration for the film were the disappearance of 12-year-old Sherry Lynn Marler and 18-year-old Daylenn Moke Pua on the Haiku Stairs hiking trail, also known as Stairway to Heaven, in Hawaii. In both cases, photographs play a significant role.
Ingela Olsson's character, Cats Winnander, is named after Cats Falck, a Swedish journalist who disappeared in 1984 only to be found six months later dead in a car in the Hammarby Canal in the center of Stockholm.
Director Mats Udd mentioned that the film takes place in 1989 and 1999. This is evident, for instance, in the exhibition brochures, indicating that the showcase occurs in November 1999. Additionally, the radio journalist's equipment was in use until 2005.