1. A legendary concert
The film revolves around John Lennon’s only full concert after the Beatles: One to One, in August 1972 at Madison Square Garden. Long overlooked due to its poor technical quality, it has been brought back to life here in a restored version. With this archive document and new technologies, the audience can in some way relive this moment of grace in all its sonic and visual glory.
2. Their apartment at the centre of the world
During this period, before moving into the famous Dakota Building in early 1973, John Lennon and Yoko Ono lived in a small flat in Greenwich Village. The bed they occupied almost constantly became the scene of political discussions, visits from radical figures such as Allen Ginsberg and Jerry Rubin, and creative sessions as a couple.
3. America from a television set
John and Yoko watched a lot of television, absorbing the flow of images of the time: war bulletins, oil adverts, sitcoms and political scandals. The couple also recorded their telephone conversations, convinced they were being monitored by the FBI. Kevin Macdonald visually recreates this world to plunge the audience into 1970s America, which saw the Vietnam War, the Attica riots, the Watergate scandal and the rise of militant movements.
4. A mirror of the present
The documentary echoes many contemporary issues: the environmental crisis, social tensions, political violence and presidential campaigns wrought with divisions. A black woman running for president, a candidate who is the victim of a live assassination attempt... The parallels are striking. But, unlike today, Lennon and Ono didn't ‘tweet’: they acted without digital filters, with a commitment rooted in reality.
5. An Oscar-winning director
Director Kevin Macdonald won the Oscar for Best Documentary for One Day in September and is best known for The Last King of Scotland and Whitney. One to One is a sensory, musical and political film. With a breathtaking score, newly remixed and produced by Sean Ono Lennon, One to One is a film to be experienced: musical, political... it offers a new reading of the story of an emblematic couple and their era.
