Witness (4K Restoration)

Join us in the cinemas to premiere the new 4K restoration of Peter Weir's Academy Award-winning film.

Venturing out of an insular Amish community for the first time with his recently widowed mother (Kelly McGillis), a young Amish boy experiences the excitement of big city life for the first time. In a fleeting moment away from the cautious grasp of his mother, he witnesses a brutal murder.

Locked in a strange stasis, unable to return home, and under the watchful eye of Detective John Book (Harrison Ford in his Academy Award-nominated role), the threat of some powerful players circle around all three – mother, son and detective – sending them on the run back to the safest place to hide, their home back in the community.

Curator's note

Often cited as Peter Weir's move to Hollywood, his previous film The Year of Living Dangerously was an MGM co-production filmed in the Philippines and it was actually The Mosquito Coast that drew Weir stateside. Due to shifting financials sands, that film was delayed and Weir became available to shoot Witness.

Witness opened the 38th Cannes Film Festival with an out-of-competition screening. Upon its release, the film enjoyed a slow build in momentum, ultimately becoming a box office hit. It was subsequently nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Director.

– Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)