Directed by Matthew Ross, “Siberia” is a crime thriller centered on an American diamond dealer named Lucas Hill, whose Russian partner, Piotr, disappears with the blue diamonds Lucas was supposed to hand over to mobster Boris Volkov. In search of his companion, Lucas travels to Siberia but ends up finding himself embroiled in a love story. With only 48 hours to find Piotr, the diamond dealer embarks on a race against time.
The romantic action flick stars Keanu Reeves, Ashley St. George, Pasha D. Lychnikoff, and Veronica Ferres, showing off their talent for performing in several different locations. Along with compelling performances and a gripping narrative, the 2018 film is peppered with stunning visuals that create a dark atmosphere. Are you curious about the filming locations used in this film? Well, you’ve come to the right place because we’re going to cover them all!
Filming locations in Siberia
Matthew Ross chose Russia and Canada as the main locations to bring the story of “Siberia” to life. Interestingly, all of the Siberian scenes were not only shot in Russia, but many of them were also shot in various small towns in the Great White North. The filming of “Siberia” began in May 2017 and was completed within a year. Let’s discover in detail the places that served as filming locations!
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Since the film is set in Siberia, it was fitting that the crew film some, if not all, of the film’s scenes in Russia. There are various shots of St. Petersburg taken for the film, including a scene filmed at the Four Lions Bridge over the Griboyedov Canal where Lucas meets an old friend. Therefore, the crew had to spend a lot of time filming in St. Petersburg in northwestern Russia.
In an interview with Salon, Matthew Ross revealed that the whole crew had a wonderful time filming in Russia. Adding a thing or two about the backdrop used in the film, the director said, “Of course there was the backdrop of what was going on in the world. If you walked across the square near the hotel there were cups with Trump and Putin faces together which was pretty wild… It was very much on people’s minds but I can tell you that working with these people was an absolute dream.
#KeanuReeves in St. Petersburg shooting a movie #Siberia pic.twitter.com/zMoqf9Oe12
— Nika (@Nikalbatra_KR) December 7, 2017
Manitoba, Canada
Apart from the scenes shot in Russia, the rest of the Siberian scenes were shot at various locations in the province of Manitoba. Located 46 km from Winnipeg in the Rural Municipality of Woodlands, the town of Marquette served as a surrogate Siberian village. To make the scenes look realistic, the team transformed Marquette’s unincorporated community using a bit of Hollywood magic by installing a Russian billboard and incorporating vehicles with Russian license plates on set.
On set: Marquette where they shoot for the film Siberia #KeanuReeves #Siberia pic.twitter.com/mvWBKAeQhM
— Bridget💫 (@bridgetscholten) April 19, 2017
For filming purposes, the production crew also moved to other locations in Winnipeg. The community of Cooks Creek in the Rural Municipality of Springfield also served as a filming location for the film. Some scenes of the crime thriller were also shot in the residential area of Fort Garry in Winnipeg. The cast and crew were spotted filming at the Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Center at 222 Broadway in Fort Garry. Over the years, Manitoba has hosted the production of many movies and television shows, including “The Italian Job”, “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “Nobody”.
Keanu Reeves during filming #SIBERIA at Fort Garry… pic.twitter.com/yinFHA9a5L
— Bridget💫 (@bridgetscholten) May 16, 2017
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