Looking For Lennon docu – available in the UK

Available today in the U.K.: New Lennon documentary.

A new, British made documentary about John Lennon premieres on the internet today, as for now, only in the U.K. It will be shown publicly in Liverpool later this month.

The film promises to give an honest retrospective on the early life of John Lennon and the tragedies that shaped his personality and later his music. The film includes rare and previously unseen memoirs along with interviews with some of his closest family, friends and associates.

The film is produced by Garry Popper and directed by Roger Appleton.

Popper, a lifelong Beatles fan, decided that Lennon’s early life deserved a new and honest look that, in his words, “transcended the myths and fabrications,” that have been sensationalized for years, including films like Nowhere Boy, Backbeat and Birth of The Beatles. He continued that this new documentary will be an “uncompromising reassessment of traumatic events that not only shaped Lennon’s complex personality but also how they influenced his adult life and relationships.”

Reflecting on the Lennon myths that became legend after becoming a Beatle, Popper said, “Generations of Beatles fans still don’t know the real man behind the image, or what made him tick…Here’s an ordinary guy, who, despite terrible childhood events, overcame them all and achieved extraordinary things. It’s an incredible story, but it’s been turned into a Disneyland fantasy.”

The film, which is being produced by SEIS Productions Ltd in the UK, is set to debut in May in the Beatles’ home town of Liverpool at “dozens of historic locations.” It promises to be “one of the most honest retrospectives on Lennon’s early life and the tragedies that shaped not only his personality but also his music,” say Appleton (director, “Get Back – the City that Rocked the World” and “Passport to Liverpool”) and David Bedford (author of “Liddypool” and “The Fab One Hundred and Four”.)

Bedford wrote, “Besides the film, which will be a feature length documentary, there will be a limited edition extended companion book. This is a retrospective examination of a complex man who turned a troubled life into some of the most haunting and passionate lyrics in modern music.” Members of Lennon’s first band, the Quarrymen, give their perspective of their early friendship with John in the film.

Bedford continued, “Michael Hill, (author of “John Lennon: The Boy Who Became a Legend”) is one of our special collaborators in the film and has some very unique insights into John Lennon’s youth, because along with Pete Shotton (and a few others in a close-knit gang) he was one of John’s closest and longest school friends. He also has the distinction of introducing Lennon to Little Richard’s music. John heard it one lunch time in Michaels house and froze. Waaar? That was John’s real Rock’n’Roll life changer.”

A combination of biopic and investigative documentary, research has taken three years.

Among the participants listed are: Sam Leach, David Bedford, Hunter Davies, Paul Farley, Jürgen Vollmer, Billy Hatton, Helen Anderson, June Furlong. Here’s a trailer:

U.K. residents can rent/buy “Looking For Lennon” using one of these links:

• iTunes
• Amazon
• Microsoft

In February, it was reported that “Looking For Lennon” so far had been sold to North America (SP Releasing), China (Lemon Tree), Italy (Koch Media), Brazil (Globosat), Spain (Vertice) and Poland (Against Gravity).

Released through Evolutionary Films.

Source for comments by Popper, Appleton and Bedford: Axs.com

The Film’s Facebook page: Looking For Lennon