John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky (2018)

Film telling the untold story of John Lennon's 1971 album Imagine, exploring the creative collaboration between Lennon and Yoko Ono and featuring interviews and never-seen-before footage.

Director:

Michael Epstein

Writer:

Joss Crowley (Story Editor)

Stars:

Yoko Ono, Julian Lennon, David Bailey

Cast

Credited cast:
Yoko Ono	...	Artist / Herself
Julian Lennon	...	Artist / Himself
David Bailey	...	Photographer / Himself
Klaus Voormann	...	Artist / Himself
Elliot Mintz	...	Radio dj / Himself
Douglas Ibold	...	Assistant director / Himself
Tariq Ali	...	Activist / Himself
Jim Keltner	...	Artist / Himself
Alan White	...	Artist / Himself
Ray Connolly	...	Author / Himself
Kenelm Jenour	...	Editor / Himself
Dan Richter	...	PA / Himself
Diana Robertson	...	Secretary / Herself
Jack Douglas	...	Music producer / Himself
Eddie Veale	...	Designer / Himself

Storyline

The documentary tells the untold story of John Lennon's iconic Imagine album. It's also a story about Yoko meeting John and East meeting West. Two artistic minds connecting and inspiring each other both personally and professionally, ultimately co-authoring a radical worldview. Director Michael Epstein gained access to the extensive Lennon video, audio and photo archive, including much previously unseen material, and the film features never before seen or heard footage such as the first demo of Imagine (discovered by their audio archivist in an unmarked eight-track box) as well as unheard audio interviews with John and film footage of the couple working together in the studio. The film also features new interviews with those closest to the couple during the period of creating the Imagine album.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

press release

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

John y Yoko

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eagle Rock Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Imagine a genius at work

Well (well well), Lennon is my favourite rock star and "Imagine" is one of my all-time favourite albums so this documentary centring on his recording of that very record was always going to be right down my strasse. Actually taking in his career and activities from a couple of years before, when he first hooked up with Yoko Ono and they formed the Plastic Ono Band, it's a fascinating insight into the man that "Time" magazine voted as one of the men of the decade just past when this was shot.

This was therefore the period when Lennon, soon to up sticks permanently to New York after just a couple of years at the sprawling country grounds of Tittenhurst Park where most of this film was made, was living a gadfly existence as outside of his recording duties we see him out on the road promoting Yoko's book "Grapefruit", following through on his political activism by attending protest marches as well as making himself generally available for interviews with both the music and the popular press, the latter keen to lampoon his peacenik happenings.

The film employs the usual technique of talking head commentaries, some from over-adulatory outsiders and the more interesting ones from those who were either in Lennon's band at the time, like drummer Alan White and bassist Klaus Voormann or were part of his staff. Whilst the film gives almost equal attention to Yoko, there's no question in my mind as to who the real deal is here. Whether expounding his utopian vision for peace on earth, discussing revolutionary politics with Tariq Ali, leading his band through his new songs or most candidly, taking in an obviously damaged Beatles fan who just turns up at his door (and look where that openness to his public led him), he comes across, at least to me, as a sharp, witty, playful guy, one you'd enjoy spending time with. Yes I'm aware of his self-confessed human flaws but even grown up son Julian speaks well of his old man here and that's good enough for me.

The music is absolutely terrific too with snippets of every track from the album heard in one incarnation or another although personally I wish there was more of it shown.

This in summary then is a fine fly-on-the-wall documentary showing a musical giant at his very considerable best.