That casting, and the inclusion of Juliette Binoche as the Canadian nurse and William Dafoe as a shadowy figure in the Italian episode of the film, made the film a hard sell to potential financiers.

• 挑选演员的工作，包括让朱利叶·比诺什扮演加拿大护士，让维兰·达福在影片的意大利一幕里出演幽灵般角色的安排，都使得影片难以向潜在出资人筹措资金。