The real voyage started with two ships instead of one, but half way the second ship with captain Jan Cornelisz Rijp returned. The next year Rijp visits Northern Russia on a regular trade mission and accidentally meets with the surviving members of the first ship and brings them home. A theatrical element in itself, that was omitted in the story of the movie.
Director Reinout Oerlemans's inspiration to make the movie came from a drawing made by Johan Herman Isings, showing the Dutch crew fighting off a polar bear on Nova Zembla. Isings' depictions of historical events and scenery are very popular in the Netherlands and have been used for decades in the Dutch education system.
The replica of the early 18th century Russian Shtandart was used as a stand-in for the 16th century Dutch ship De Windhond.
The first Dutch 3D movie.
The movie is dedicated to all the crewman of the real Nova Zembla.