"desolasi" was directed by syafiq yusof, who had previously directed "sam: saya amat mencintaimu" (2012), "abang long fadil" (2014) and "villa nabila" (2015). it was based on his personal experience during his childhood. he also wrote the screenplay, which took three months to complete. yusof commented in an interview with "new straits times", "i love stories that challenge the mind, but for my own films, i don’t think it’s wise to present a story that’s too complex. what i’ve done for "desolasi" is not too difficult to take in, but it does make you think a little."