Principal photography was originally scheduled for the Spring of 1992, but the siege of 1992-1996 began before any filming could be completed. The screenplay was retooled during the siege while the director and writers took refuge in a Holiday Inn that had originally been constructed for the 1984 Olympics. Filming began again in 1996 after the signing of the Dayton Peace Accord and after director Ademir Kenović had gotten permission from the United Nations, whose forces were still monitoring the area. The film would go on to become the first Bosnian feature released after the 1992 Bosnian independence referendum, making it in some sense the first Bosnian film.