Naman Shrestha
Written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, ‘Strange Way of Life’ is a Spanish Western drama movie about two gunslingers — Sheriff Jake and Silva, portrayed by Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal, respectively. After spending 25 years away from one another, Silva decides to get on horseback and travel across the desert to reunite with his friend Sheriff Jake. After celebrating the reunion, the Sheriff tells Silva that he does not want to go down the memory lane of their friendship.
Originally titled ‘Extraña Forma de Vida,’ the film consists of a lot of Western elements, such as the ranch, gunslinger, and a sheriff. But at the same time, it also has dialogue between two gay men, something which is not associated with Westerns at all. The conventional arid setting of the Western not only makes the narrative appear more authentic but also raises questions about the real-life locations.
Strange Way of Life Shooting Locations
The shooting for Pedro Pascal’s ‘Strange Way of Life’ occurred across Spain, in different places, including the Province of Almería, Castilla-La Mancha, and the capital Madrid. Commencing in August 2022, the principal photography for the drama movie was completed within a month or so, as it wrapped up in September of the same year.
Province of Almería, Spain
The Province of Almería served as the primary production location for ‘Strange Way of Life’ as the filming unit made the most of its versatile terrains to tape several pivotal sequences. The Tabernas Desert, which is situated in the Tabernas municipality in Spain’s Andalusia, is used to portray the arid regions in the film. A stand-in for a Western town in various movies and TV shows, including Sergio Leone’s ‘Once Upon a Time in the West,’ the Western-style theme park called the Western Leone made for a suitable filming site for the Ethan Hawke starrer.
Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Some important scenes for ‘Strange Way of Life’ were also lensed in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, which consists of the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Toledo. In particular, the filming unit set up camp in Mesa de Ocaña in the province of Toledo and taped several key portions against suitable backdrops, which might also include a few places of interest such as Santa Cruz de la Zarza, Plaza de Moros, Villarrubia de Santiago, and the Plaza Mayor.
Madrid, Spain
For shooting some additional portions of ‘Strange Way of Life,’ the cast and crew members reportedly constructed a ranch near the capital of Spain — Madrid. Located in the center of the Iberian peninsula, Madrid is one of the filmmakers’ favorite filming sites given its vastness and versatility. Besides the Pedro Almodóvar directorial, ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,’ ‘The Mercenary,’ ‘Valdez Is Coming,’ and ‘The English,’ are a few film and TV projects that have utilized the locales of Madrid for filming purposes.
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