About

This screening will be introduced by Victoria Wareham, Australian Cinémathèque.

Set in a 90s vision of the year 2021, a data courier who uses his brain as a temporary storage device is tasked with safeguarding a highly encrypted file carrying invaluable secrets hidden by a global pharmaceutical company.

Considered a commercial flop at the time of its release, Johnny Mnemonic suffered from a continual push-pull between the vision of the director and the intent of the studio, resulting in conflicting ideas around casting, plot and visual style. 25 years after the film's original release, director and visual artist Robert Longo was given access to the original film footage and in consultation with writer William Gibson and lead-actor Keanu Reeves, released a 'redemptive' black and white version of the film in 2021 (the year in which the film is allegedly set) to dramatically alter the look and feel of the film in a way that was closer to the director's original intent.

Featuring an eclectic cast that includes Takeshi Kitano, Dina Meyer, Ice-T, Udo Kier, Dolph Lundgren, and Keanu Reeves (in the role that arguably informed his portrayal of 'Neo' in the Matrix saga), Johnny Mnemonic in Black & White is a fascinating look at how reimagining the visual styling of a film can significantly alter its meaning, revitalising it for contemporary audiences.

M | Medium level violence, Medium level coarse language