The filming was very intense for Lou Doillon, who was 15/16 during it. "Mamirolle was written for a twenty-year-old. Its many nude scenes scared away actresses. Although only fifteen, I accepted the part because I found it troubling. I think my reaction had something to do with wanting to make myself suffer. I wanted to hurt myself, I even liked it. Maybe this feeling has something to do with my parents, my background. I never wanted to settle for what I had, what I was. I didn't want to take the easy path of making a nice film in a cosy setting, surrounded by velvet cushions. I was convinced that I would be better accepted in this business if I made films in which I really took risks," she recalled.