 In the book, Betty Mahmoody and Mahtob escaped Iran thru the  northern mountain regions in the dead of winter with severe ice and  snow. The producers,planned to film the escape scene in the Eilat  Mountain in Southern Israel. However, there was no snow that winter  and the escape scene was going to scrapped. Many protests arose  because they felt the scene was essential. Sally Field (qv) even  threatened to quit the project. The producers looked for other  locations but either they were too expensive or unsafe for the  actors and the crew. Finally, the scene was re written to have Betty  Mahmoodey and Mahtob traveling thru the desert in searing heat.