Carlo Ponti, the film's Italian producer, also took umbrage at the film and pulled his financing, leaving Forman to face a possible 10-years' imprisonment for "economic damage to the state". Forman drove from London to Paris to see Claude Lelouch, who had once promised he'd buy international rights for any movie Forman made, only to find out Lelouch was in Morocco at that time. By chance, Forman met with Claude Berri, who contacted François Truffaut, and after watching the movie they both agreed to buy the international rights.