One of the Finnish working class films made during the 1970s when the energy crisis at the time caused unemployment and many companies went bankrupt. Other Finnish films from that era include "Yhden miehen sota (1973)", "Jouluksi kotiin (1975)", and "Kahdeksan surmanluotia (1972)" for television.
The location scouting proved to be difficult due the nature of the story. Many factories declined, but the film was ultimately shot (mostly on location) at the Finnish State Railways machine workshop in the town of Hyvinkää.
The lead actor Urpo Poikolainen, like many other actors in the film, was a amateur actor. During his film career he only appeared in two films (the other was "Kuuma kissa? (1968)"). His civilian profession was a train conductor.
The film won some international awards, but was a financial flop in Finland. During its theatrical run only 6 254 people saw the film, partly because some of the popular movie theaters boycotted the film.
The famed Fennada-Filmi Oy was originally set to produce the film. After the final screenplay it suddenly backed down and the film rights moved to Jörn Donner Productions.