Polar Opposites: Filming Locations and Cast Details

In Hallmark’s ‘Polar Opposites,’ we get acquainted with Emma, a young woman who embarks on a journey to meet her father, who is stationed at the end of the world — Antarctica. Due to some unexpected mishap, she fails to board the final boat from South America. Determined to reach out to her father by hook or by crook, she somehow manages to get inside a cruise ship, where she crosses paths with the ship’s charming engineer — Andy.

With a long and chilling journey ahead, Emma gets closer to Andy as they both feel an inevitable spark between them. Helmed by Colin Theys, the romantic comedy film is a heartwarming tale, but the cold and snowy vistas in the backdrop work in contrast with the overall narrative. Since a significant portion of the movie is set in Antarctica, questions about the actual sites are bound to arise in the minds of the audience.

Where Was Polar Opposites Filmed?

The shooting for ‘Polar Opposites’ was conducted in a couple of South American countries, Brazil and Argentina. Specifically, the municipality of Salvador and the city of Ushuaia in the Patagonia region served as the filming sites. The principal photography for the Hallmark production got underway in early November 2024 and went on for the next three weeks or so before getting wrapped up in the same month. One of the cast members, Maeve Quinlan, shared a few words about her experience shooting the film. She wrote, “Shooting a heartwarming movie in Patagonia with these amazingly talented people was everything you could possibly imagine it to be … and then some!” Furthermore, she extended her gratitude to all the cast and crew members, whom she considers her friends now.

Salvador, Brazil

 

In the initial and final days of the production of ‘Polar Opposites,’ the filming unit set up camp in Salvador, a municipality and capital city of Brazil’s state of Bahia. Most of the scenes set in South America were lensed in various parts of Salvador. Moreover, the portions with a superyacht in the backdrop were reportedly taped on location outside of an actual cruise ship in the city. From the looks of it, the cast and crew of the romantic film also took over a ship to shoot the indoor scenes of the superyacht that took the characters to the end of the world — Antarctica.

Ushuaia, Argentina

Although the production team of ‘Polar Opposites’ could not travel to Antarctica to tape the Antarctica sequences, they managed to set up camp in one of five internationally recognized Antarctic gateway cities — Ushuaia. Since there are multiple ski areas situated in close proximity to the city, the Argentinian city served as an ideal double for Antarctica. Apart from the Hallmark production, Ushuaia has hosted the production of several other movies, including ‘Todas las azafatas van al cielo’ and ‘Happy Together.’

Polar Opposites Cast

Rhiannon Fish essays the role of Emma, the protagonist who is on a mission to reach out to her father in Antarctica. Widely recognized for her roles in ‘The 100’ as Ontari, ‘Neighbours’ as Lisa Jeffries, ‘Home and Away’ as April Scott, and ‘A Love to Remember’ as Tenley, the versatile actor has also showcased her acting talents in other Hallmark productions like ‘When Love Springs,’ ‘A Picture of Her,’ and ‘Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths.’ She also features in ‘A Christmas Castle Proposal: A Royal in Paradise 2,’ ‘He Loves Me Not,’ ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters,’ and ‘A Costa Rican Wedding.’

Opposite her stars Markian Tarasiuk, who portrays Andy, Emma’s love interest and the cruise ship’s engineer in ‘Polar Opposites.’ The Ukranian-Canadian actor pursued his childhood dream of becoming an actor and has successfully turned it into reality. Throughout his acting career, he has been featured in different kinds of projects, allowing him to display his talents to the fullest. For instance, you might recognize him from shows like ‘Shut Eye,’ ’50 States of Fright,’ ‘Virgin River,’ and ‘Surface.’ He also stars in several films, including ‘Return to Sender,’ ‘Mistletoe Connection,’ ‘Why Can’t My Life Be a Rom Com?,’ ‘Christmas at the Golden Dragon,’ and more. Moreover, Maeve Quinlan portrays Peg, while Dean McDermott plays the role of Ian.

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