Catherine Deneuve was hesitant at first to play the character of a woman falling in love for another woman, but Andre Techine managed to convince her.
Considering the fact that André Techine's former mentor is Roland Barthes, Barthes' book "Fragments: A Lover's Discourse" often seems echoed in Marie's reflections about her former student, whose tape-recorded autobiographical musings form the basis of a book Marie writes.
The student who stops Marie (Catherine Deneuve), and asks a question about Heraclitus is Chiara Mastroianni, Deneuve's daughter.
The opera that Marie and Alex saw was "The Magic Flute" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The narrative consists of a prologue, five sections, and an epilogue.