The director approached Mortensen with his script because in his mind he was the ideal actor for the role.Mortensen gave his affirmative answer 10 days after reading it and in the process participated in the production as well.Similarly,Nick Cave agreed to compose the music for the film,after the director presented him with his idea.
David Oelhoffen had to extend the original short story by Albert Camus and adapt it. He used a lot Camus' texts as a journalist, as well as another text called 'Algerian Chronicles', which Camus wrote in the '30s when he traveled to Kabylia.
When Mortenesen had his first meeting with Oelhoffen, he brought him two biographies of Albert Camus and the movie script with notes everywhere. The meeting lasted six or seven hours and it was all day speaking about the script.
According to director David Oelhoffen, Catherine Camus, the daughter of Albert Camus (the author of 'The guest', the short story adapted in 'Far from men'), saw the film and said she liked it very much.