Opium - Diary of a Madwoman is based on a book of the same name by the Hungarian physician and writer Géza Csáth. Csáth based the book on a study of one of his own patients.
The film premiered at the 38th Hungarian Film Week, where it won the Foreign Critics' award as well as the award for best director and best cinematographer.
At the 29th Moscow International Film Festival, the prize for Best Film went to Travelling With Pets, directed by Vera Storozheva of Russia; the Special Jury prize went to Russian Triangle, directed by Aleko Tsabadze of Georgia; Italy's Giuseppe Tornatore received the award for Best Director for his film The Unknown; Fabrice Luchini took the prize for Best Actor for his role in Moliere; and the "Perspectives" prize went to Juris Poskus's Monotomy.
