Filming Locations: Where was Silence filmed?
Posted by Ra Moon
Although the original Shusaku Endo’s book is set in 17th century Japan, Silence was entirely filmed in Taiwan.
The 2016 Martin Scorsese movie is an old project that he was trying to turn into a film since the early 1990s.
Silence is based on a novel that, thanks to the work of the film director of Taxi Driver, can be turned into a cinema masterpiece.
Visually beautiful and inspired by the natural world, this story about belief and spirituality follows the way of two Portuguese missionaries (performed by Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver), facing a dangerous test of faith.
In a country where Christianity was banned, the two members of the Jesuit order are looking for their mentor (Liam Neeson), who disappeared after committing apostasy.
The landscape plays a key role in Silence. After scouting filming locations across several countries, Scorsese chose Taiwan because it was recommended by director Ang Lee, who also filmed here Life of Pi.
Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures
View of the wonderful mountain settings of the Yangmingshan National Park, near Taipei City.
Image by Alexander Synaptic
Yangmingshan is a huge park that features scenic peaks in the top and lush subtropical rainforests in the lower areas. Quite handy for a story of hiding.
Image by Jennifer
Going East, the production was also filming in the hiking area between the town of Jinguashi to the Shuangxi District.
Image by Shuan Liu
A reader from Taiwan (thank you!) suggested that this scene was filmed in Gengzi Ping Hot Springs near Changchun Valley Hot Spring Resort, in Jinshan District (north of Taipei).
Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures
The county of Hualien is blessed with amazing scenery, like the gorgeous gorge of Taroko National Park.
Image by Bernard Gagnon
This cave is located in Hualien, and it's called Shiman (Stone Gate). There are a couple of links in the comments to blogs writing about this place... in Chinese.
However, we couldn't identify the exact location of the beach where some sequences take place (any help, please?).
What we discovered is that some scenes using a tank of water were shot in an abandoned airport in the city of Taichung, the same used for the Life of Pi.
Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Silence was hosted in the CMPC Studios in Taipei. Some sequences, like this one representing Macau, were filmed in a replica of the old Portuguese colony built in these facilities.
Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Do you have more accurate information about the shooting locations or Silence?
To complete this report, any feedback, suggestions, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
*****
To complete this report, any feedback, suggestions, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
*****
Ra Moon
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The cave scene looks like some of the caves on Lanyu (Orchid) Island.
ReplyDeleteThe cave is in Hualien.....Shiman (Stone Gate)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/kumakuma31/9726832359/
The movie scene is shot in Shiman,Hualien County.
DeleteIt's true to get confused coz there's many place in Taiwan named 'Shiman'.
And the Shiman in Hualien is less famous even between Taiwanese,it's too far and very few habitants around there.
http://blog.xuite.net/crystal.chia/chia/122909758-%E5%8F%B011%E7%B7%9A%E3%80%82%E7%9F%B3%E9%96%80%E9%81%8A%E6%86%A9%E5%8D%80%E3%80%82%E5%83%8FMarch%E7%9A%84%E6%B5%B7%E8%9D%95%E6%B4%9E%E3%80%90%E8%8A%B1%E8%93%AE%E8%B1%90%E6%BF%B1%E3%80%91
ReplyDeletehttp://damon624.pixnet.net/blog/post/31843843-%E3%80%90%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E5%A5%BD%E5%A5%BD%E7%8E%A9%E2%80%A7%E8%8A%B1%E8%93%AE%E3%80%91%E6%B1%BD%E8%BB%8A%E5%B2%A9%E6%B5%B7%E8%9D%95%E6%B4%9E-%E6%B8%BE%E7%84%B6%E5%A4%A9
Alright, so these two links upstairs are about the cave in Hualien... enter at your own risk! (I'm joking:)
DeleteDid they actually put the rubber duck in the cave?
ReplyDeleteDo you know where was it filmed?
ReplyDeleteIt was Buddhist temple where Rodrigues met Father Ferreira.
I think that is real Japanese Buddhist temple of Jodo Shu or Jodo Shinshu.
The beach scene must have been filmed at Niushan Huting,outside Hualien. It's one of my favorite places in Taiwan. It's peaceful, quite, unique and unspoiled.
ReplyDeleteI live in the Goto islands (where the story is set) and I must say that the landscapes in the film mirror exactly that of our beautiful archipelago.
ReplyDeleteThe cave is at Shihmen Recreation Area. If you google the Chinese name (花蓮石門洞), it will bring you the google maps result so you can see exactly where it is
ReplyDeleteAll comments are reviewed prior to publication