This immersive portrait of the time John and Yoko spent living in Greenwich Village is a vivid time capsule of America in the early 70s. A time of extreme political polarisation which may seem uncannily familiar.

Escaping the backlash from The Beatles’ dramatic breakup, John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono relocated to New York in 1971. They moved into a tiny Greenwich Village apartment with a massive TV propped at the end of their bed. Lennon exclaims that TV was his “window to the world” and filmmaker Kevin Macdonald picks up this cue, transporting us back to the early 70s by channel surfing through a dazzling array of archival material, home movies and audio recordings.

The result is an absorbing portrait of what was a very turbulent era of radical change and counter-culture.

We get to see John and Yoko’s interactions with anti-war protestors Josh Rubin and A.J. Weberman, and their advocacy for imprisoned White Panther Party founder John Sinclair. Macdonald also focuses on more domestic matters such as Yoko’s custody battle over her first child Kyoko.

Interspersed throughout the film is beautifully restored footage from John and Yoko’s 1972 One to One benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. It was the only full-length concert John Lennon ever performed after leaving The Beatles and it’s a joy to experience barnstorming renditions of such flower power classics as ‘Come Together’ and ‘Instant Karma’.

 

“At a time when the world feels like it’s going erupt at any moment Lennon’s message of giving peace a chance is more urgent than ever.” — Michael McDonnell

“Fun, fierce and full-blooded… makes Lennon feel somehow vital again… radioactive with charisma, tilting at windmills and kicking out sparks.” — Xan Brooks, The Guardian

 

This film will be preceded by War Is Over (USA, 2023)
Inspired by the music of John and Yoko, this Academy Award winning animated short delivers a moving message.
Run time: 11 mins

 

Explore the full programme at nziff.co.nz.