The film was compiled from footage the director smuggled out of Iraq during a visit there on the pretext of chronicling the nation's suffering under U.N. sanctions. The director has received death threats from the Iraqi government following the film's completion.
On "WTF with Marc Maron," writer Scott Thompson Said that prior to this films release he and director/husband, were the target of Islamic extremists. He stated that in the middle of the night prior to the films release someone had filled their exterior trash cans with A flammable liquid, put red paint on the exterior of their home, And lit the trash cans on fire, causing the red paint to drip down "so that it looks like blood," dripping on the outside of their home, according to Thompson. After waking up to this, Thompson said there was a letter in their home saying "If you release this movie you are dead." "Dead" being underlined "In case they thought we didn't think they were serious."