John Lennon and Yoko Ono documentary shows parallels of the 70s and today

PARK CITY, Utah — Film director Kevin Macdonald and Co-Director/Editor Sam Rice-Edwards intriguingly slice together footage never seen before from the 18 months John Lennon and Yoko Ono lived in Greenwich Village.  The film ‘One-To-One: John Lennon and Yoko Ono’ documents a tumultuous part of US history. Kevin Macdonald remarked: “People of the 70s, musicians were engaged in a way we should get back to.”

Historical footage documents history as it happened

“In the film there are interesting parallels between 1972 and where we are now,” notes Sam Rice-Edwards. “I didn’t know that much about Yoko when we started. For me it deepened my understanding. Getting into her head with the missing daughter, searching for her into the 90s.”

Hearing the stories told by Yoko Ono herself back in the 70s, provides insights rarely told. Did you know John Lennon went to the first feminist convention in Boston as the only man? The film shows the women voting on whether to throw him out.

Sean Ono Lennon oversaw the remastering of the audio. Much of the footage is from Lennon’s only full-length, post-Beatles concert. Yoko Ono, herself, did not participate in the making of this film.

Concert was a benefit concert for children with disabilities housed in a 5000 plus person facility

The scenes from the last remaining large facility for disabled children are heart-wrenching. They raised 1.5 million dollars back then. This wasn’t the only social issue John and Yoko took on. They were very active.

The film benefitted from the discovery of phone call records from that time. John and Yoko’s apartment wasn’t just their home but also their office. As the Sundance programmer put it, this film is a master class in editing. Some of the phone recordings are interwoven with the story line to create interesting subplots.

Additional screenings

This film’s next screening will take place Jan. 29 at 4:40 p.m. at the Megaplex Redstone and Feb. 1 at 12 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre.