Hear My Eyes Is Bringing Aussie Classic 'Chopper' Back to the Big Screen with an All-New Live Score

Catch the Eric Bana-starring gem at this year's Melbourne International Film Festival — and then at Sydney's City Recital Hall.
Sarah Ward
June 16, 2022

Every film festival has its highlights, and its events that make each specific fest special. For the Melbourne International Film Festival, its Hear My Eyes gigs are one such standout. With movies such as Drive, Girlhood, Suspiria and Two Hands, MIFF has brought beloved and classic flicks back to the big screen, accompanied by a live — and all-new, completely original — score that's played while film lovers sit, watch and listen.

It's as unique a movie-going experience as you can get, even if you've seen the feature in the spotlight countless times before — and for MIFF 2022, another exceptional film is getting the Hear My Eyes treatment. Get ready to revisit the role that made Eric Bana an international movie star, and to dive back into one of the most infamous crime tales in Australian history. In other words, get ready for Chopper.

Twenty-two years after it first hit cinemas, the exceptional Andrew Dominik (This Much I Know to Be True)-directed flick will grace The Astor Theatre's big screen for one night only, on Wednesday, August 17, with sessions at 6.15pm and 9pm. It'll also pair its visuals with a brand-new original live score, as spearheaded by Mick Harvey, member of the Bad Seeds, and the musician who originally gave Chopper its soundtrack.

As well as composing the new score, Harvey will be joined by supergroup Springtime — featuring Gareth Liddiard from Tropical Fuck Storm and The Drones, Jim White from Dirty Three and Chris Abrahams from The Necks — to play it live.

That big-screen date with Uncle Chop Chop is all well, great and fantastic for Melburnians, with tickets on sale from 10am on Thursday, June 16 — but it's also excellent for Sydneysiders, too. Outside of MIFF, Hear My Eyes will bring its Chopper performance to the New South Wales capital, at City Recital Hall, at 6pm on Saturday, August 27. Tickets for the Sydney show go on sale at 9.30am on Thursday, June 16.

Check out the trailer for Chopper below:

HEAR MY EYES 2022:

Wednesday, August 17 — 6.15pm and 9pm, The Astor Theatre as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival
Saturday, August 27 — 6pm, City Recital Hall, Sydney

Hear My Eyes' Chopper screenings with Springtime + Mick Harvey start touring the country in August. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the Melbourne International Film Festival and Hear My Eyes websites.

The 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 4–Sunday, August 28 at a variety of venues around Melbourne and Victoria, and online. For further details, including the full program from Tuesday, July 12, visit the MIFF website.

Published on June 16, 2022 by Sarah Ward
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