[1][2] The story centers on an unnamed university student, referred to as "you" by the narrator, as he suddenly quits attending school, cuts off his friends, and attempts to lead a fully automation-like life devoid of human interaction.

His inner thoughts are narrated in the form of an unwritten diary by Ludmila Mikaël in the original French version, and Shelley Duvall in English.

[4] The film was a small critical success, with reviewers citing its psychological drama and unique filmic structure.

He met Queysanne around the same time, and the two bonded over their shared love of Jerry Lewis, Billy Wilder, and other melodramatic works, as well as French auteurs Georges Franju and Jean Grémillon.

[4] Perec was long discouraged from filmmaking because he thought it was too consumerist, saying the industry was "entirely dominated by market ideology which [...] functions in 99% of cases as a reductive constraint.

[8] Additionally, the pair was able to get funds from SATPEC, a production company based in Queysanne's home country of Tunisia.

[9] Principal photography was done in Paris, France, primarily in a one-room chambre de bonne rented by the title character.

In the room, he is recorded reading the works of Raymond Aron and Henri Lefebvre, two of the directors' favorite authors.