Prerna Singh
‘Mile 22’ is an action thriller that follows Jason Silva (Mark Wahlberg), a top CIA agent, as he tries to smuggle out a police officer with confidential information from the American Embassy in Indocarr. He takes the help from his specialized tactical command unit to safely transport the informant through 22 miles on the enemy territory, hence giving the film its name – ‘Mile 22.’
Directed by Peter Berg, this is Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg’s fourth collaboration. Other notable cast members in ‘Mile 22’ are Lauren Cohan, Ronda Rousey, Iko Uwais, and John Malkovich. If you’re among those who are curious to know about the filming sites, especially the truth behind the location of Indocarr, we are here to help you out!
Mile 22 Filming Locations
‘Mile 22’ is set in the Southeast Asian country of Indocarr, loosely based on Indonesia. The principal photography for ‘Mile 22’ was completed in 42 days. If you don’t know, Indocarr is not a real location. However, let’s take a look at the places that stand in for Indocarr!
Atlanta, Georgia
Filming for ‘Mile 22’ began with interior shots, which were all filmed in Atlanta. The shooting commenced under the working title ‘Ground Branch Triple.’ A few scenes were filmed at Sandy Springs near Happy Hollow Road and Spalding Drive. The Norfolk Southern Building and a few scenes at the Third Rail Studios located on 5801 Peachtree Road, also served as a filming site.
Bogota, Colombia
Bogota served as the primary setting for the film, where all the outdoor action sequences were filmed. The makers had considered Hong Kong, Thailand, and even Japan for the fictional country, but they felt that all of those are very rooted in their presence, and one would immediately recognize the country if they saw it on the screen. That is exactly what they felt was charming about Bogota; it could be anywhere in Europe, Asia, or Latin America. Owing to its architecture, the versatility of character is what they needed for a country like Indocarr.
The local government’s cooperation made the filming much easier. The government was especially glad that Bogota was not shown as the land of drug lords at war with each other, making it probably the first film to be shot in Bogota without that particular premise. Being a big production meant occasionally disrupting traffic, but the people were very understanding and also quite willing to help.
The crew was allowed to film aerial shots even in the no-fly zones such as the city center, Centro Internacional of Bogota, which is considered their equivalent of Times Square. It was cordoned off for about ten days, where the crew filmed in full swing. These were mostly the car chase scenes and explosions, for which they specifically needed the drones.
Read More: Is Mile 22 a True Story?
