In real life, Jamel Debbouze lost the use of his right arm in an accident in 1990. This is why his character in the film keeps his hand in his pocket throughout.
Luc Besson once claimed that he would only ever direct a maximum of 10 films. Angel-A (2005) is his tenth movie. Obviously Besson has broken that promise - the 2013 release of The Family (2013) marked his 16th film.
Shot over a period of nine weeks.