Yearning to travel quarantine-free with no restrictions and cautions? In real life, we might have to wait a few more months. Physical restrictions aside, fulfilling a fraction of the wanderlust built-up inside of us by travelling virtually through the eyes of protagonists in movies set it amazing locations.
These films became the solace from the isolation of quarantining inside the four walls of our house. In the spirit of emerging from the pandemic, here’s a list of locations where some of the most anticipated movies of 2022 have been filmed. You could visit these locations and pay homage to the artform that held you over until you could go outside.
Don’t Worry Darling – Palm Springs, California
Directed by Olivia Wilde, and boasting a star-studded cast of Florence Pugh, Gemma Chan and Harry Styles, ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ is set to be released in September 2022. The movie is about the life of a housewife living with her husband in a utopian experimental community in 1950s America. She begins to slowly question her own sanity when strange occurrences begin to happen in her community, and she begins to find disturbing secrets about her loving and picture-perfect husband.
Set in the 1950s, this period drama was filmed in Palm Springs and central LA. Palm Springs is the perfect spot for a vintage shoot. The area, against the backdrop of the Mojave Desert and with an even sprinkling of palm trees, Palm Springs makes a gorgeous utopian paradise. Most of the houses in the region retain their 50s exteriors, and with vintage cars adorning their driveways and their low setting, Palm Springs looks straight out of a history book. The old Hollywood getaway is the perfect spot for a vintage inspired holiday in boutique hotels.
The Policeman’s Lineage – Ulsan, South Korea
Based on ‘Blood of the Policeman’, a Japanese novel by Joh Sasaki, ‘The Policeman’s Lineage’ follows the story of Park Gang Yoon and Choi Min Jae who are at odds in their methods and values when it comes to doing their jobs. The film, starring Cho Jin Woong and Choi Woo Shik, deals with corruption and an investigation that threatens to turn the police force upside down. The film will be released on January 5, 2022. The film was shot In Ulsan, with its final few sequences taking place in Nam-Gu, Ulsan City courthouse.
Read More: Splendid Weekend Getaways In South Korea
Ulsan lends its industrial backdrop to the city. One of the largest metropolitan cities in the country, Ulsan is South Korea’s industrial hub. The city makes for a perfect spot for a peaceful nature-inspired getaway in an industrial city. The Daewangam Park is home to a hundred-year-old pine forest. The Taehwa River Seepri Bamboo Grove along the river is a peaceful spot away from the hustle of the city. Ganjeolgot and Ilsan Beach make a nice combination for a more coastal retreat. If you’re a museum and history person, the Seoknamsa Temple, the Jangsaengpo Whale Museum and the Ulsan Onggi Museum are for you.
The Good Maharaja – Jamnagar, Gujarat
The Good Maharaja narrates a tale of Maharaja Digvijaysinghji Ranjitsinghji Jadeja, the Jam Sahib Maharaja of Nawanagar. It captures his gesture of kindness to Poland at the peak of the Second World War. The Maharaja provided refuge and education to nearly 1,000 Polish children who had been evacuated from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. He established the Polish Children’s camp in Balachadi in 1942. The camp held strong until 1945 when the World War ended and the children were transferred to Valivade in Kolhapur. The film stars Sanjay Dutt as the Good Maharaja.
For the real-world location of this movie, the city to visit is Jamnagar, Gujarat (as Nawanagar is known today). Jamnagar is home to the gorgeous Darbargadh Palace, the old royal residence of Jam Saheb. The Lakhota Fort is a small palace located on an island in the middle of Lake Lakhota and houses a museum with a good collection of sculptures. The Pratap Vilas Palace, the Dhavantri Mandir, the Solarium and Bhujio Kotho are other places of interest in Jamnagar. Balachadi houses the first and only Sanik School of Gujarat, which was located on the Polish campsite in 1961.
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Love Like the Falling Petals – Tokyo, Japan
‘Love Like the Falling Petals’ is a modern romantic comedy set in Tokyo. The film captures cherry blossoms and depicts their transience and beauty in the form of a tale of love. The film is based on a Japanese novel of the same name by Keisuke Uyama. Produced by Kei Haruna and directed by Yohihoto Fukagawa, it stars Kento Nakajima and Honoka Matsumoto. The film will be released on Netflix on March 24, 2022, and is the story of an aspiring photographer who falls in love with his hair stylist, Misaki. The story progresses like any good romance movie until Misaki develops a rare disease.
Read More: Luxury Family Getaways In Japan
In true spirit of the film, visit its location in the spring. Springtime Tokyo is divine, with its cool winds, the warm sun, the fragrance of flowers, and lush with cherry blossoms. The blossoms are omnipresent in springtime, and they make any excursion outside the view of a lifetime. From floating down the river to being scattered across walkways, from drifting in the wind to featuring even in the food, the flowers are absolutely everywhere. For viewing these pink little delights at their most beautiful, like the main character’s dearest in the movie, the spots to head to are Yoyogi park, Asakusa Hanayashiki, and the Meguro River.
Utama – Altiplano Highlands, Bolivia
‘Utama’ is a film about maturing, migration and connection to one’s roots. The film maps the lives of an elderly Quechua couple who have lived their entire lives in the Altiplano Highlands. They have been living the same life daily until a long illness and an uncommonly long drought derails their life. With the wife ill, the husband must make a decision of either moving to the city or to be defeated by the environment andtime. The film stars Luisa Quispe, José Calina and Santos Choque. It is expected to be released in January 2022.
The Altiplano Highlands in Bolivia are the most extensive highland plateaus outside of Tibet. It originates northwest of Lake Titicaca in Peru and extend to southwest Bolivia. La Paz is the main political and commercial city in Bolivia located southeast of Lake Titicaca. The places to visit in the Highlands include Tarabuco, the spot of a weekly Sunday Market; the Isla del Pescado, a secluded spot with an excellent view; the Bolivian Plateau where the Andes are the wildest; Lake Titicaca; La Paz; and Oruro.
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This list is a start for all the gorgeous locations around the world where these films have been shot. Perhaps it can be the start of your 2022 itinerary or an addition to your must-watch list. Either way, you are guaranteed the experience of a lifetime. ◼
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© This article was first published online in Dec 2021 – World Travel Magazine.
