Where Was Days Of Heaven Filmed? Terrence Malick’s 1978 Masterpiece!

Remember Richard Gere from the popular 1990 romantic comedy film Pretty Woman? Well, he happens to be a senior actor who has been working in Hollywood since the mid-70s. So, today we’re going to tell you about his iconic and critically acclaimed film Days Of Heaven. The 1978 Brook Adams and Richard Gere starrer romantic drama film is a must-watch. It is one of Terrence Mallick’s greatest films and is highly recommended. However, in this article, we’ll discuss the movie and tell you where was Days Of Heaven filmed.

The American romantic drama film, Days Of Heaven was released on 13th September 1978. We can also call Days Of Heaven a period film, as the story is set in 1916. Period films are quite difficult to make as they portray a story of a different time period, so everything has to be accurate and perfect. After its release in the United States, the movie was also screened at a number of International Film Festivals.

Now, to answer your question regarding where was Days Of Heaven filmed, the romantic period drama was shot in Lethbridge and Calgary in Alberta, Canada.

Plot Of Days Of Heaven (1978) | To Reach Heaven You Have To Go Through Hell!

The story of Days Of Heaven revolves around the characters of Bill played by Richard Gere and Abby played by Brook Adams. A young couple in 1916 pretending as brother and sister to the outside world to get their own way. In order to escape poverty, and daily struggle and to avoid hard labor they decide to move to the southern part of America. 

After reaching Texas they come across a wealthy farm owner played by Sam Shephard, who asks them to work on his farm. When the harvest is over, the farm owner invites Bill and Abby to stay at his house. Soon, both of them discover that he is suffering from a terminal disease and immediately they hatch a plan. When the farm owner confesses to Abby that he loves her and wants to marry her, she accepts the proposal, as Bill has a different plan for the future.

Where Was Days Of Heaven Filmed?

Terrence Malick’s romantic period drama, Days Of Heaven received numerous positive reviews from critics. The movie’s cinematography, editing and direction was highly praised and appreciated. The movie, irrespective of not being a commercial success, did win an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Terence Malick won the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival. 

It goes without saying the movie is one of the greatest Hollywood films that was ever made. The movie was selected for preservation in the US Film Registry by the Library of Congress. It also received a super-high score of 93% from Rotten Tomatoes and an impressive rating of 7.8 from IMDb. However, now that you have an idea about where was Days Of Heaven filmed, let’s dig deeper and get into the details of the filming locations.

Lethbridge | Alberta, Canada

Principal photography of the romantic period drama, Days Of Heaven began in the late Summer of 1976. Even though the movie is set in Texas, the film was shot in Canada’s Lethbridge and Calgary. The majority of the filming took place in the city of Lethbridge. 

The city of Lethbridge is located in the province of Alberta. It has an estimated population of 101,482. Lethbridge was the fourth city in Alberta to cross 100,000 people. The city is surrounded by the Canadian Rocky Mountains which help the city’s warm summers and mild winters. 

Lethbridge also happens to be one of Alberta’s important cities. It is the financial, commercial, and industrial hub of Alberta. The agriculture and mining sector makes up most of the city’s economy. Half of the city’s population is employed in the education, retail, health and hospitality sectors. Lethbridge offers a number of theaters, art galleries, museums, libraries, and sports centers.

Calgary | Alberta, Canada

As we mentioned, the majority of the filming took place in Lethbridge, the production team along with the cast had to move to Calgary to shoot the ending scene of the movie. The final sequence of Days Of Heaven was shot in Calgary’s Heritage Park Historical Village. It is a 127 acre of open land on the banks of the Glenmore Reservoir.

Final Word

So, Lethbridge and Calgary are the two filming locations of the romantic period drama, Days Of Heaven. If you want to experience these filming spots in real life, we suggest you make a plan with a couple of your friends and go check it out. However, if you haven’t watched the movie yet, let us tell you, you’re missing out on an important film. So, hurry up and watch the movie as soon as possible. You can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. Also, if you want to find out more about such interesting filming locations then do not forget to check out where was SEAL Team and A Love Song filmed.