 Yu and Zhu never worked directly with each other, as Zhang asked each to submit a separate draft, which he later edited and consolidated to fit with his concept of the film.Filmed primarily in Tianjin, China, "Seventeen Years"'s post-production took place entirely in Italy with editing by Zhang and Jacobo Quadri (who would also work with Zhang on his film "Little Red Flowers").As Zhang's "return to the fold," "Seventeen Years" did not suffer from the usual governmental intrusion.