Bruce Dickinson has given fans an inside look at the making of the stunning new music video for the reimagined version of his classic solo ballad “Tears of the Dragon.”
The video was filmed in September 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil, shortly after Iron Maiden’s performance at The Town festival. Dickinson collaborated with directors Leo Liberti and Antoine de Montremy, taking over a massive disused brewery that resembled a renaissance building.
The ambitious shoot featured Dickinson’s current solo band, the House Band of Hell, alongside the Almai Orchestra conducted by Antonio Teoli (who also arranged the orchestral parts for the re-recording). Brazilian ballet dancer Renata Bardazi delivered a powerful interpretive dance performance that added a deeply emotional layer to the film.
In a statement, Bruce described the chaotic but brilliant experience:
“We found this amazing location, an enormous old-school brewery that was almost like a renaissance building, and we made up the orchestra so they looked slightly zombified. All the House Band of Hell band members are in the video and I gave them all instruments to play. The whole thing was brilliant madness. Leo also came up with the idea of having a ballet dancer interpreting the song, and she was amazing, poetic, and that adds an incredible extra-emotional dimension to the video.”
The reimagined “Tears of the Dragon” appears on the 2025 expanded and reworked version of Dickinson’s 1994 solo album Balls to Picasso, now titled More Balls to Picasso. The orchestral treatment gives the track a grander, darker, and more cinematic feel.
The video has already achieved significant success on the film festival circuit, winning Best Music Video at multiple international events, including the Los Angeles Film Festival IAF, Los Angeles Film Awards, New York International Film Awards, and others. It has also received numerous additional nominations.
This new video is a perfect example of Bruce Dickinson’s relentless creativity. Even decades into his career, he continues to treat his solo work with the same ambition and theatrical flair he brings to Iron Maiden. The combination of orchestral grandeur, powerful visuals, and Renata Bardazi’s ballet performance elevates “Tears of the Dragon” into something truly cinematic. Fans are loving this fresh take on a beloved classic.
https://youtu.be/-C8tUtthP2g
