Exploring the ‘Three Thousand Years Of Longing’ filming locations
George Miller has become a formidable force in modern cinema, with his bonkers 2015 action movie Mad Max: Fury Road being a game-changer for the fortunes of the Australian filmmaker. Before releasing his prequel follow-up to his 2015 movie with Furiosa, Miller first released the fantastical drama Three Thousand Years Of Longing, starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton.
Inspired by the AS Byatt novel The Djinn In The Nightingale’s Eye, Miller’s new film tells the story of an academic (Swinton) who travels to Istanbul for a conference and encounters a djinn (Elba) who offers her three wishes. Doubtful that the mythical creature is real, the woman decides between following his offer of three wishes or turning it down in fear of the downfall such wishes could bring.
Described as “anti-Mad Max” by Miller, fans of the Australian director can expect something far different from his exhilarating 2015 action film, with Three Thousand Years Of Longing looking to be an entirely different entity. A strange, sprawling adventure, Miller’s film embraces some truly extraordinary locations, as seen in the vibrant trailers for the movie.
Exploring the Three Thousand Years Of Longing filming locations:
New South Wales, Australia
Utilising the unique architecture and landscapes of his country, George Miller shot much of his latest film in New South Wales, a state on the eastern coast of Australia. Establishing their base around Sydney, Miller and his team used several suburban areas of the state for several scenes in the movie. The specific area of Melrose Park was used most prominently throughout the movie’s filming in late 2020.
Alexandria is a short distance from Melrose park in the more residential area of Sydney. A 103-acre entertainment district fit with marshes, hills and dreamlike restaurants dressed in spectacular greenery. This setting, no doubt, worked to provide the backdrop for several moments in Miller’s fantasy movie, reflecting a wondrous setting that feels both modern and elegantly classic.
This isn’t the first time that Miller has used the state for his films either, also travelling to New South Wales in the early 2010s to shoot Mad Max: Fury Road. Other movies and TV series have also used the state in the past, including Alien: Covenant, Nine Perfect Strangers and The Secrets She Keeps.
Istanbul, Turkey
Many modern movies purport to take place in a certain location, only to film somewhere entirely different behind the scenes, usually to save some cash. However, Miller’s latest is not like most new movies, with the director filming exactly where his characters travel to in Three Thousand Years Of Longing.
Set in Istanbul, Turkey, Miller and his crew chose to film much of their movie in the historic city. Though popularly thought to be the country’s capital (Ankara is the actual capital), Istanbul is the highest-populated city in Turkey. Also, it happens to be the nation’s financial and cultural heart. A stunning city featuring Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, Istanbul is home to some of the finest attractions in eastern Europe.
Whilst such attractions to the city include the Obelisk of Thutmose III, Istanbul Archaeology Museums, the Forum of Constantine, and the Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos, Miller and his team prefered to simply use the general beauty of the location for the film. Capturing many scenes in the nooks and crannies of the city streets, many of which border the Bosphorus Strait river.
Whilst unconfirmed, it also looks as though Miller has used the city’s extraordinary Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, with the trailer showing glimpses of a spectacular palace with a strong resemblance.
