Where was the Netflix movie BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths filmed? We discuss the film’s locations.
BARDO, False Chronicles of a Handful of Truths is a film by director Alejandro González Iñárritu. Film fans will recognize the writer, producer, and director from other projects such as Birdman and The Revenant. The film had a limited theatrical release as well as being released on Netflix and has been widely anticipated by fans.
This will be the first film released by Alejandro since The Revenant in 2015 and his first film shot in Mexico since his 2000 film Amores Perros. The film itself has been shot on 65mm, and it is safe to say that the cinematography will be special. We have a quick look at the film locations and discuss this movie from the highly acclaimed director.
What’s the premise for BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths?
The film is the story of a celebrated Mexican journalist and documentary maker who returns home to confront his own personal demons and to try and find closure for past events in his life.
The film is a very personal film for Alejandro, and you get the feeling that the movie mirrors his own experiences as a filmmaker.
The lead character Silverio is going through a kind of existential crisis, and his journey forms the main narrative in the screenplay.
The film was released on Netflix on December 16th, 2022, and in September and October of the same year, it played at various film festivals around the world.
It has received mixed reviews and currently has a 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest rating that an Alejandro film has had. Despite the bad reviews, the film is being considered for The Academy Awards.
Where was the Netflix movie Bardo filmed – a breakdown of locations
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths was filmed in California and Mexico, mainly in Mexico City, Los Angeles, and Baja California Sur. Covid put the brakes on production, so principal photography did not start till March 2021.
Los Angeles California
There are only a few scenes that required filming here, so you can see a few shots of the cityscape here. Los Angeles has been featured in many productions and lends itself to location shoots very well. Great lighting and long daylight hours help directors film here.
Baja California Sur, Mexico
It seems that there were a lot of scenes filmed in this area. This is the least populated area of Mexico, and area wise it is the ninth largest. The capital city of La Paz also saw the film crew visit several times during the production of the film. Some key scenes were recorded here. Tourism is one of the major economic factors for this area, as well as sport fishing and salt production. Baja California Sur is no stranger to film companies, and there have been some big features made around here including Titanic and Pearl Harbour.
Mexico City, Mexico
Most of the scenes for Bardo were filmed in and around Mexico City. It seems that there was a rather tense situation in one early filming session, where a member of the security crew was assaulted by a random passerby.
The person was arrested after the incident occurred. Locations that were used in the film included Isabel La Católica Street 21, Avenida 5 de Mayo 46, and Zócalo plaza on Plaza de la Constitución S/N. Mexico has long been a prime filming location for many big production companies, and some of the most famous movies that used Mexico as a set include Desperado, Licence to Kill, and Days of Grace.
Mexico is a premium venue for filming projects due to the vast and diverse nature of the landscape. There is everything from beaches to forests and urban to rural, so it has a huge appeal for cinematographers. Its close proximity to the US also helps, and the lower cost of shooting there also makes it very viable for companies to film there.
