An Intriguing Explanation As To Why Vancouver Portrays Every City in the World Except Itself

In “Vancouver Never Plays Itself“, filmmaker Tony Zhou of Every Frame a Painting takes a look at his hometown of Vancouver and the curious way it’s used in films to portray every other city in the world except for itself.

Perhaps no other city has been as thoroughly hidden from modern filmmaking as Vancouver, my hometown. Today, it’s the third biggest film production city in North America, behind Los Angeles and New York. And yet for all the movies and TV shows that are shot there, we hardly ever see the city itself.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.