A young film student in the early 80s becomes romantically involved with a complicated and untrustworthy man.

A young film student in the early 80s becomes romantically involved with a complicated and untrustworthy man.

Joanna Hogg wrote the script based on her real-life experiences while attending film school in London in the early 80's. All actors read the script except from Honor Swinton Byrne. Director Joanna Hogg gave her instead her diaries from the early 80's, notes, photographs, old scripts and films she wrote and made at that time. She was told to improvise every scene, while the rest of the cast had scripts but were still told to react to her as well as they could. Hogg also gave Tom Burke old letters, recordings and drawings from the man his character is based on.

Honor Swinton Byrne is the real-life daughter of Tilda Swinton. The Souvenir (2019) and The Souvenir: Part II are her first film roles after playing the child version of Tilda Swinton's character in Ma olen armastus (2009) 10 years earlier.

Julie's London flat is a perfect replica of the one that director Joanna Hogg lived in at that age. The set was built inside of an airplane hanger, and the city views seen through the windows are 35mm projections of photographs that Hogg took in her twenties.

Julie and Anthony's first interaction is actually the first time the actors had met and their relationship only flourished as they shot in story order.

Joanna Hogg already cast Tom Burke and Tilda Swinton, but couldn't find the right girl to portray Julie until just weeks before filming was supposed to start. When she met with Tilda Swinton to discuss her part, her daughter Honor Swinton Byrne happened to be there by coincidence and Hogg suddenly started to see Julie in her. Tilda Swinton and Joanna Hogg are friends since they were ten, so Hogg already knew Honor, but Hogg never thought about giving the role to Honor because she never acted before.

Joanna Hogg wrote the script based on her real-life experiences while attending film school in London in the early 80's.

The films title 'The Souvenir' is named after an 18th century rococo painting of the same name by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, which features a woman scratching the initials of her lover onto a tree.

In her twenties, Joanna Hogg studied at the National Film and Television School outside of London. Her graduation piece Caprice starred a than unknown Tilda Swinton.

All projects that Julie makes at film school are based on actual projects that director Joanna Hogg made while attending film school in the early 80's.

Joanna Hogg always had the plan to make two parts since she started working on the story. The only question was to shoot both of them back to back or to shoot one first and than shoot the other.

Principal photography took place in August 2017 in Norfolk, England.

Part filmed on an ex RAF base in West Raynham in Norfolk. A few of the residents were invited to be extras.

Jack W Gregory (Ray) was initially brought in for the part. However after a conversation with Joanna Hogg he was brought in to consult with her and Tom Burke on several aspects due to his own past experiences.

Jack W Gregory (Ray) is in real life a respected author and writer.