Alberta is the backdrop in three episodes of a new Korean romantic comedy on Netflix titled "Can this love be translated?" Cast and crew members travelled to several locations around the province in the fall of 2024 to produce the series, including near Drumheller.--SUPPLIED IMAGE
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In the fall of 2024 characters and crew members of a TV series “Can This Love be Translated?” flew into Alberta for two weeks to film in a variety of locations, including Drumheller’s Badlands.
The fourth, fifth and sixth episodes of the globally streamed romantic comedy, which premiered Jan. 16 on Netflix, showcase several locations around the province, including the Badlands, downtown Calgary and Edmonton and the Rocky Mountains.
The romantic comedy is based on a relationship between a Korean actress and a multilingual translator fluent in English, who meet when the interpreter is hired for a reality dating show.
In southern Alberta especially, crews filmed along Highways 56 and 573 near Drumheller.
Director Yoo Young-eun says locations were carefully selected to match emotions of the story, and she called Canada’s scenery “special and romantic.”
“From sunsets to Northern Lights to lakes shimmering with sunlight – these backdrops served as another mechanism to bring out the characters’ intense emotions,” said Young-eun. “I aimed to capture moments that would be remembered like a postcard for Ho-jin and Mu-hee (characters.)”
Travel Alberta said Thursday that recent investments promoting the province as a top filming destination are helping to attract large-scale film and movie productions to the region.
“Alberta’s role in this internationally acclaimed Netflix series highlights how our diverse landscape provides the ideal setting for drama, romance and unforgettable experiences,” said Tannis Gaffney, chief marketing officer with Travel Alberta.
Gaffney cited a trip to South Korea last September when Travel Alberta representatives and Minister of Tourism and Sport Andrew Boitchenko visited partners in Seoul for a series of meetings focused on long-term visitation, growth and investment.
“Travel Alberta is thrilled to have worked with our partners to attract this production to Alberta,” added Gaffney. “South Korea is a strong and growing market for us, and we’re working to transform on-screen connection into real visits to these remarkable destinations.”
Boitchenko says these productions are a way to showcase Alberta’s iconic locations to millions of viewers around the globe.
“Investing in these productions helps drive tourism spending, support local businesses and creates jobs across Alberta, while inspiring more visitors to experience the provinces’ natural beauty and vibrant communities firsthand,” said Boitchenko.
According to the government more than 60 per cent of all Alberta-made film and TV projects are shot in small cities, towns or rural locations.
These productions invest in hospitality and have spent more than $500 million in rural communities across Alberta, according to provincial data.
Alberta has been the backdrop for several major film and TV series including HBO’s The Last of Us, Fargo, Interstellar, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Brokeback Mountain and The Revenant.
In 2023 the province’s film and TV sector contributed more than $1.25 billion to the economy and supported more than 9,000 jobs.
“Alberta’s talent, landscape and stories continue to shine on the big screen, sharing the rich culture and deep history of our province with audiences at home and around the world,” said Tanya Fir, minister of arts, culture and status of women.
