Where was the You Can Live Forever movie filmed? Escape into the stunning Quebec landscapes of this queer Canadian love story where love and faith collide.
Dive into the breathtaking yet isolating world of You Can Live Forever (2022), the Canadian romantic drama that broke hearts at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Co-director Sarah Watts, who grew up queer in a Jehovah’s Witness community, teamed up with Mark Slutsky to craft a story that’s as emotionally raw as the Saguenay Fjord is deep.
The plot follows Jaime (Anwen O’Driscoll), a pot-smoking sci-fi nerd sent to live with her devout aunt and uncle in rural Quebec after her father’s death. There, she falls into an intense, forbidden romance with Marike (June Laporte), the dutiful daughter of a community elder.
Torn between a promise of eternal paradise (“the new system”) and the love in front of her, Jaime must make a devastating choice. The cast also features Liane Balaban, Antoine Yared, and Deragh Campbell.
Principal photography took place on location in the fall of 2021, using Quebec‘s raw landscapes to mirror the characters’ emotional turmoil. Grab your toque and let’s go.
Table of Contents
💔 You Can Live Forever Filming Locations
From the dramatic fjords of Saguenay to the vintage trains of Exporail, here’s exactly where this haunting romance came to life.
🏞️ The Saguenay River Valley, Tadoussac & Sacré-Cœur
The Saguenay River Valley is the film’s emotional core, located roughly four hours northeast of Montreal in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.
Co-director Slutsky needed a place that could realistically host a small, insular English-speaking community surrounded by wilderness, and the magnificent fjord was perfect.
The towering cliffs and deep, dark water become a character in themselves, representing the sheer scale of the world outside Jaime’s cloistered religious community.
Travel tips:
- Whale watching tours in Tadoussac, the “Whale Capital of Quebec” (June to September)
- Park your car in the village of Sacré-Cœur and tackle the Sentier du Fjord trail inside Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay for the same views of glacial cliffs seen in the film.
🏘️ Vieux Saint-Eustache (Old Saint-Eustache)
To build the tight, modest 1990s suburban feel of the community, the production moved to this historical pockets just north of Montreal.
Vieux Saint-Eustache (Old Saint-Eustache), with its late-19th-century architecture and old stone churches still bearing musket scars from the 1837 Lower Canada Rebellion, provided the perfect small-town backdrop.
Travel tips:
- Take a walking tour of Old Saint-Eustache.
- Stop at a local boulangerie along Boulevard Sainte-Rose for authentic French-Canadian pastries.
🚂 Exporail, The Canadian Railway Museum
Located in Saint-Constant, just 30 minutes south of Montreal, the sprawling Canadian Railway Museum (Exporail) is a hidden gem for transport nerds (Sheldon Cooper would love it here).
The production used the museum’s extensive, atmospheric collection of vintage trains, trams, and streetcars to lock in the mid-90s temporal aesthetic.
It was used to film transitional shots featuring vintage trains that feel transportive and melancholic, using the idea of travel and leaving to hint at Jaime‘s desire for an exit.
Travel tips:
- Exporail is the largest railway museum in Canada.
- Budget at least three hours to explore the indoor pavilion, climb inside historic streetcars, and ride the miniature outdoor railway.
🎨 The Cyclorama de Jérusalem, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
This is one of the film’s most unique visual Easter eggs. The Cyclorama de Jerusalem is a massive, circular panoramic painting from the 19th century depicting the Crucifixion of Jesus.
The directors used this specific, historic rotunda building (just 30 minutes northeast of Quebec City) to create a surreal, immersive backdrop for key sequences, playing with themes of religious spectacle and grand narratives.
Travel tips:
- Visit the beautiful Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica. Don’t just look at it from the outside.
- Step inside the spinning Cyclorama de Jerusalem – it’s bizarre, beautiful, and way more cinematic than you’d expect.
📅 6-Day Road Trip Itinerary
Pack your bags and trace the film’s path from Montreal to the mighty Saguenay Fjord.
Days 1-2: Greater Montreal
- Start in the south at the historic Canadian Railway Museum (Exporail).
- Drive north to Old Saint-Eustache for a walking tour of the historic district.
- Overnight in Sainte-Rose, Laval.
🗺️ Day 3: Quebec City & Charlevoix
- Drive to Quebec City (UNESCO site).
- Continue 30 minutes to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré’s Cyclorama.
- Follow Route 138 through the stunning Charlevoix mountains to Baie-Saint-Paul.
🏔️ Days 4-6: The Fjord & Return
- Whale watching boat tour in the Saguenay-St-Lawrence Marine Park.
- Drive 15 minutes to Sacré-Cœur to hike the Sentier du Fjord trail in Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay.
- Return via Route 175 through the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve (watch for moose at dusk!).
❓ You Can Live Forever Movie FAQ
Is You Can Live Forever based on a true story?
It’s semi-autobiographical. Co-director Sarah Watts grew up gay in a Jehovah’s Witness community and drew on that experience. However, the specific plot and characters are fictional.
What is “the new system of things” in the movie?
It’s a term used by Jehovah’s Witnesses to describe the promised paradise after the world ends, a concept Marike‘s community believes in fervently.
What does the train at Exporail symbolize in the film?
The vintage trains and streetcars at the Canadian Railway Museum (Exporail) act as visual metaphors for a journey, nostalgia, and the possibility of escape from the restrictive community.
What’s the soundtrack for You Can Live Forever?
The synth-heavy, energetic score that acts as the film’s “fluttering heartbeat” was composed by Michael Silver, Montreal’s own CFCF. It includes 90s indie legends like Cocteau Twins (Pitch the Baby) and The Breeders (Divine Hammer), plus Jean-Michel Blais, Young Galaxy, and a piano piece by Chopin.
📺 Where to Watch You Can Live Forever
So, where can I watch You Can Live Forever (2022) online? Here are your options.
- Amazon Prime Video: Available for rental or purchase.
- Blu-ray: Physical copies can be found on Amazon or Mongrel Media.
Whether you’re chasing film locations or simply craving a road trip through Quebec‘s most dramatic landscapes, the world of You Can Live Forever is the eternal paradise you were waiting for.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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