▁independent ▁producer ▁Ray ▁St ark , ▁whose ▁company , ▁R ast ar , ▁had ▁been ▁acquired ▁by ▁Columbia ▁Pictures . ▁St ark ▁agreed ▁to ▁take ▁on ▁the ▁project ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁but ▁neither ▁he ▁nor ▁Columbia ▁are ▁cred ited ▁on screen . ▁ ▁The ▁picture ' s ▁expected ▁$ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁budget ▁was ▁fin anced ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁Brazil ' s ▁Em bra fil me , ▁which ▁purchased ▁Brazil ian ▁distribution ▁rights ▁for ▁$ 1 6 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁Below - the - line ▁exp enses ▁were ▁raised ▁by ▁B aben co ' s ▁H B ▁Fil mes , ▁and ▁international ▁production ▁services ▁were ▁fund ed ▁by ▁We is man ' s ▁Sug arlo af ▁Films , ▁Inc . ▁The ▁crew ▁was ▁mainly ▁Brazil ian , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁several ▁Argent ine - born ▁craft s men . ▁Re he ars als ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁a ▁São ▁Paulo ▁prison ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁vac ated ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁ri ots , ▁and ▁sets ▁were ▁constructed ▁at ▁V era ▁Cruz ▁Studios , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁abandoned ▁due ▁to ▁bank rupt cy . ▁ ▁Writing ▁ ▁The ▁film ' s ▁setting ▁was ▁re located ▁from ▁Argentina ▁to ▁Brazil , ▁with ▁the ▁added ▁political ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁then - current ▁Brazil ian ▁military ▁dict ator ship . ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁features ▁a ▁" film ▁within ▁a ▁film ", ▁featuring ▁Luis ▁Mol ina ▁epis od ically ▁telling ▁Val entin ▁Ar reg ui ▁the ▁plot ▁of ▁a ▁fict ional ▁film ▁called ▁Her