A new documentary titled “One to One: John & Yoko” has premiered on HBO, showcasing rare footage of John Lennon and Yoko Ono during a pivotal time in their lives in the early 1970s. The film offers an intimate glimpse into the couple’s life, highlighting their activism amid the backdrop of the Vietnam War, and features restored video of Lennon’s “One to One” benefit concert at Madison Square Garden, which marked his only full-length performance following his departure from The Beatles.
The documentary also includes unique scenes from Ono’s first solo museum exhibition, titled “This is Not Here…An Exhibit of Conceptual Works of Art,” which opened at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York, on October 8, 1971. The film captures a crowd of more than 6,000 attendees eager to see the couple, alongside intimate moments, such as Lennon and Ono sharing a meal while fans observed from above. Ono described the exhibition as “unfinished,” stating, “It will be unfinished always because every piece in this exhibition is also growing because people add things to it.”
Exploring the Art and Activism of Lennon and Ono
The documentary provides a fascinating look at the couple’s art and activism, featuring elements from Ono’s exhibit, which included a partially eaten apple, a boy hammering metal, and a glass maze that invited interaction. The film also showcases a performance by renowned beat poet Allen Ginsberg, who reads a provocative poem as part of a sculpture created by himself and Ono.
Directed by Kevin Macdonald, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, “One to One: John & Yoko” premiered on November 14 and is now available for streaming on HBO Max. Macdonald employs a creative approach in the documentary, interspersing footage of car commercials, news segments, and television clips to reflect the media landscape that influenced Lennon and Ono. This technique imitates their experience of learning about America through television, while providing context to songs performed during the benefit concert.
The film resonates with younger audiences, according to Macdonald, who noted that viewers in their teens and early twenties connect with the simplicity of Lennon and Ono’s message. “It’s been very interesting… they’re inspired by the ‘Let’s get out there and change the world’ sort of simplicity,” he remarked.
Legacy and New Perspectives on Yoko Ono
Executive producers of the documentary include Brad Pitt and the couple’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, who has remixed the music featured in the film. Sean expressed hope that the concert footage will highlight his mother’s vocal talents, which he feels are often overlooked. “I think it’s unfortunate… that avant-garde style overshadows the fact that she does have very beautiful conventional songs,” he shared in an interview with NPR.
Ono, who currently resides on a farm in Upstate New York that she purchased with Lennon, married the iconic musician in 1969. Their 1971 exhibit in Syracuse attracted numerous visitors, including notable figures like Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol, and Dennis Hopper. Lennon’s legacy as one of the greatest songwriters in music history endures, with solo hits such as “Imagine”, “Woman”, and “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” continuing to resonate with audiences.
Despite the breakup of The Beatles in 1970, their music remains influential, evident in various documentaries like “The Beatles Anthology” and Peter Jackson’s “Get Back”. The cultural impact of The Beatles is further reflected in films inspired by their work, including “Across the Universe” and the upcoming biopics about each member of the group.
As audiences engage with “One to One: John & Yoko,” they are invited to reflect on the enduring legacy of Lennon and Ono’s artistic collaboration and the profound messages they shared during a transformative era in history.
