Gorris finished the screenplay in 1988. However, making the film took three attempts, with challenges stemming from putting together a large cast and finding a village that could be portrayed as realistic for a 50-year period.
After Gorris finished writing the screenplay in 1988, he encountered considerable obstacles while making the film, including the complex task of casting a large group of actors and finding a rural village that could convincingly depict a community spanning several decades.