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Hear My Eyes returns to MIFF as garage-rock faves The Murlocs perform their very own reimagined live score to the Aussie classic Two Hands, Gregor Jordan’s crime caper starring a breakout Heath Ledger and Rose Byrne.
After three hugely successful events, Hear My Eyes – MIFF’s much-loved night of sound and cinema – is back, this time to celebrate Gregor Jordan’s 1999 debut feature at the Astor Theatre. Set in a now-unrecognisable Sydney, where Kings Cross shimmered with seedy nightlife and you could make a getaway on something called the ‘monorail’, Two Hands stars a then–virtually unknown Ledger as Jimmy, an ex–street kid and strip-club bouncer. After misplacing a chunk of cash he’s meant to deliver for his boss, Pando (Bryan Brown at his absolute most Bryan Brown), he finds himself on the run from the mob, joined by the girl of his dreams, Alex (Byrne, making only her second film appearance).
A box office smash, Two Hands won Best Film at the 1999 AFI Awards, set Jordan on a path to Hollywood and propelled Ledger and Byrne to stardom, while going on to become a modern Australian classic that remains compelling more than two decades after its release.
This exclusive Hear My Eyes presentation joins two antipodean icons, with garage-rock five-piece The Murlocs bringing their salty rhythm and blues, harmonica-driven psych and unmistakeable swagger to Jordan’s rollicking, irreverent film.
The Murlocs
The Murlocs are loved for their emblematic style of garage songwriting and captivating live shows. Formed in 2011 by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard vocalist and keyboard player Ambrose Kenny-Smith, The Murlocs are a genre-bending Melbourne five-piece with roots firmly placed in their own blown-out, distorted brand of soulful, R&B-infused psychedelic rock. The band has released five albums, including the ARIA Top 50 hits Old Locomotive (2017) and Manic Candid Episode (2019) as well as their highly anticipated latest, Bittersweet Demons, released in June 2021.
Hear My Eyes
Hear My Eyes screenings are audio-visual events that push the conventions of film and sound beyond their familiar forms. Translating the original cinematic experience for the 21st century, the Hear My Eyes team work with local musicians to reinterpret a film’s soundtrack and perform it live at the screening.
Artistic Director: Haydn Green