One of the most influential films of the 21st century is set to be experienced in an entirely new way when Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed thriller Memento arrives at Hamer Hall this August with a live score performed by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard drummer Michael “Cavs” Cavanagh.
Presented by Hear My Eyes as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, the special event will see Nolan’s groundbreaking neo-noir classic screened on 8 and 9 August while Cavanagh performs an original percussion-driven score live in the room.
Rather than a traditional film soundtrack, the new composition has been designed to respond directly to the film’s unique structure and pacing. Performing across three separate music stations, Cavanagh will create an immersive sonic experience that mirrors the tension, confusion and momentum of the story unfolding on screen.
Released in 2000, Memento helped establish Christopher Nolan as one of modern cinema’s most visionary directors. The film follows Leonard, played by Australian actor Guy Pearce, a man living with a rare form of memory loss as he attempts to track down his wife’s killer. Its reverse-chronological storytelling and psychological complexity quickly earned critical acclaim and a devoted cult following.
Hear My Eyes founder and creative director Haydn Green said the project had been years in the making.
“Michael and I have been talking about a percussion focused project since our collaboration on Suspiria, but it’s hard to find the right film, and now after spending a lot of time with Memento, I know that it’s perfect,” Green said.
“I love the conceptual alignment. Memento is a film about one mind trying to piece itself together and having one virtuoso build the entire score live in front of an audience mirrors that beautifully. There’s a real Birdman energy to it as well, one drummer carrying the whole thing, all that intensity and immediacy.”
For more information visit artscentremelbourne.com.au.
